New York contest promoter-turned-con man Scott Cicerone faces fraud and larceny charges after allegedly promoting a bogus free-home raffle, according to the Wall Street Journal. Cicerone and partner John Luongo, who invested $1 million in renovations on a Massapequa home, were in hot water after defaulting on the home’s $1 million loan in June 2008. The pair devised a scheme to hold a raffle for the home, planning to use the profits from the sales of the $50 tickets to pay off their debt — but Cicerone had other plans. After selling just 2,000 tickets, not nearly enough to cover the loan, Cicerone allegedly siphoned cash from the raffle sales, using the money for luxury trips across the country — and the home was never awarded to a winner. Luongo contends that he had no idea what his partner was doing. Neither Cicerone nor his attorney, Scott Limmer, has commented on the case. [WSJ]