A California man is facing up to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fake sports memorabilia for nearly a decade, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Anthony J. Tremayne, 58, agreed to a plea agreement that found him guilty of “selling memorabilia containing purportedly genuine signatures of famous athletes, musicians, actors, and other celebrities” from around 2010 until December 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said in a press release.
Prosecutors said Tremayne provided items that he said contained genuine signatures and oftentimes included a “Certificate of Authenticity” form — although both were found to be bogus.
He admitted to selling up to $550,000 of fake memorabilia.
Tremayne’s scheme was uncovered when, in November 2019, he sold a “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” photograph with forged signatures to an undercover FBI agent for $200.
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ESPN reported that the other forged items included signed memorabilia from members of the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and other NBA teams. Multiple signed replica Stanley Cups, signed boxing gloves, and fraudulent Masters jackets and flags were among the other items reportedly sold.
Movie memorabilia with forged signatures was also a part of the scheme.
Tremayne, who currently resides in Mexico, was initially facing multiple charges, including 13 counts of wire fraud, but pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud as part of the plea deal. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 11. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
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