Jonathan Rembert, a 41-year-old resident of Fort Mill, South Carolina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged involvement in a fraud scheme that targeted skiers and snowboarders in Utah. According to court documents, Rembert and others are accused of selling ski and snowboard passes at “discounted” prices after purchasing them at full price using stolen credit card information.
The passes involved include the Epic Pass from Vail Resorts, Inc., which provides access to forty-two mountain resorts worldwide including Park City Mountain Resort in Utah, and the Ikon Pass from Alterra Mountain Company. The Ikon Pass grants entry to several Utah resorts such as Alta Ski Resort, Brighton Resort, Deer Valley Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird, and Solitude Mountain Resort.
From November 2020 through May 2024, those involved allegedly placed online advertisements offering discounted passes. They communicated with interested buyers via text messages and other online platforms. Before receiving payment from customers, members of the scheme reportedly used their personal information to set up or access accounts on resort portals for Alterra (Ikon Pass) and Vail Resorts (Epic Pass). The passes were then purchased using stolen bank card details without the buyers’ knowledge.
Once the fraudulent purchases were made, the group confirmed transactions with customers and requested payment for the discounted price through peer-to-peer apps like Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, and Apple Pay. The funds collected were distributed among Rembert and his associates for personal use.
Victims whose credit card data was misused challenged these charges as fraudulent. This led to significant financial losses for various mountain resorts when funds had to be returned to legitimate cardholders. Many of the ski passes obtained by customers were subsequently canceled due to these chargebacks.
Rembert faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft. His initial court appearance is scheduled for January 7, 2026 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
“For generations, Utah’s families have enjoyed the greatest snow on earth at our renowned ski resorts,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “The alleged fraud targeted local skiers, snowboarders, and resorts and we intend to seek justice for those victims. We are grateful to the law enforcement agencies that had the foresight to investigate and present this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”
Glen Henderson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service added: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with safeguarding the U.S. Mail against criminal exploitation…This case serves as a reminder to be cautious of offers that seem ‘too good to be true,’ particularly those which require payment through peer-to-peer applications.”
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera stated: “Investigating fraud cases is crucial in protecting and maintaining trust in our communities…This is one of the largest fraud cases that the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office has investigated and is attributed to the ongoing partnership with our federal agencies and committed detectives who work hard every day to ensure our canyons are safe to enjoy our annual ski season.”
The investigation was conducted jointly by USPIS and Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office; Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Luisa Gough are prosecuting.
An indictment represents an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
