Two Argentine content creators are facing felony charges following their arrest at a recent World Cup match, where authorities allege they attempted to circumvent security protocols using invalid credentials.
Pato Perrotta, 26, and Beni Marmol, 20, were taken into custody on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. They are accused of bypassing three distinct security checkpoints to gain entry to the Colombia-Portugal game using credentials that were not legitimate.
According to a deputy's report, the passes in question were issued for a prior event and were not authorized for use at Saturday's World Cup fixture.
Marmol reportedly told officials that he was a "media influencer" attempting to access the venue to stream the match.
Both individuals were arrested and charged with felony interference with a sports or entertainment event, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Perrotta and Marmol were detained at a local correctional facility, with their bond set at $2,500 each.
Manager Provides Update on YouTubers' Status
During a live video broadcast, fellow streamer Momo Benavides shared information he received from Walter Costabel, who manages the YouTubers, as reported by Todo Noticias.
I have been with Mármol and Pato since yesterday. We already paid bail, they will be released in a few hours. The cause is still not entirely clear. The judge just set bail and nothing more. All that is said are rumors about it.
Benavides indicated that the YouTubers would need to remain within the United States until the legal matter is fully resolved.
I imagine that, obviously, the fact that they have paid bail is not going to allow them to return. They are going to have to stay there until it is resolved. In any case, they are not deported, they just do not have to be near the stadiums where the World Cup matches are played. The crime charged is interference in sporting events.
