A 44‑year‑old man from Saratoga County has been taken into custody after authorities say he created a bogus travel basketball program that left dozens of families out of pocket.
The Scheme Unfolds
According to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Norbert A. Sygdziak allegedly signed up more than 40 children for a team called the Saratoga Raptors, collecting fees for uniforms and practice sessions between February and April. Parents were promised tournament play, but the squad never competed, and many families discovered that the tournaments never materialized.
Sygdziak now faces fourth‑degree grand larceny, first‑degree scheme to defraud, second‑degree scheme to defraud and five counts of petit larceny, charges that carry potential prison time and fines.
Joe Tocci, whose son was enrolled in the program, said he lost about $840. “We paid for jerseys, court time and coaching, only to be told the season was over,” Tocci recalled, adding that roughly 80 percent of the affected families have filed civil complaints.
The fallout prompted the creation of a new team under the name Springs City Hoopers, which managed to win a tournament in Syracuse after Sygdziak’s arrest, offering a modest redemption for the displaced players.
Investigators also uncovered a pattern of deception linked to Sygdziak’s earlier venture, Ride Along Now, a New Jersey school‑transport company that amassed multiple complaints from the Better Business Bureau and the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
A Community Reacts
Local officials say the case underscores the need for greater oversight of youth sports programs and highlights how quickly a well‑crafted pitch can turn into a financial nightmare for parents. The sheriff’s office hopes the arrest will deter similar schemes and restore confidence in legitimate basketball circuits.