sports

August 25, 2015 By Jason DeBord

Bill Mastro of Mastro Auctions Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Shill Bidding & Fraud

The New York Daily News continues to take the lead in the mainstream media on the story about “disgraced sports memorabilia pioneer” Bill Mastro, Founder and CEO of Mastro Auctions, which shut down in 2009 during the FBI investigation. In the ongoing saga, he plead guilty to shill bidding and mail fraud and admitted to trimming/altering a high value trading card to increase it’s value. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman sentenced Mastro to 20 months in prison; NY Daily News reports the judge was “troubled by the fact that Mastro had destroyed bidding records after learning the FBI had launched an investigation into fraud…“. [Read more…]

April 14, 2015 By Jason DeBord

WPIX-TV (PIX11) News Feature: “NJ’s Attorney General Closes Case of Fraudulent Memorabilia”

Tribune Broadcasting’s New York flagship station, WPIX-TV (PIX11) in New Jersey, recently published a news report about the Bergen County Prosecutor’s office auctioning off memorabilia seized in 2007 – memorabilia that Prosecutor John Molinelli was warned included fake autographs. The report claims that a prior report revealed that the prosecutor’s office made false statements in an official document in order to get a no bid contract for their “handpicked” memorabilia authenticator. Purportedly, these news stories lead to refunds being offered to the buyers. One of the buyers subsequently filed a criminal complaint against the prosecutor which went to the Bergen County Policeand then to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice; the AG’s office then sent a letter to people who’d complained and it said that their information “was received and reviewed…The matter is now closed.” [Read more…]

October 11, 2013 By Jason DeBord

Mastro Auctions Scandal: Bill Mastro Pleads Guilty To Fraud & Altering Memorabilia; Faces Up To Five Years in Prison

The New York Daily News lead mainstream media reports yesterday about “disgraced sports memorabilia kingpin” Bill Mastro of Masto Auctions plead guilty to mail fraud and admitted to trimming/altering a high value trading card to increase it’s value. Mastro will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Ronald A. Guzman, and faces up to five years in prison. [Read more…]

November 29, 2012 By Jason DeBord

New York Daily News Update on Mastro Auctions Scandal: Bill Mastro To Plead Guilty To Fraud, Altering Memorabilia

As the latest significant update to this ongoing high profile memorabilia auction house fraud scandal, the lead journalists covering the story for the New York Daily News today reports that William Mastro of Mastro Auctions will be changing his plea to guilty on one fraud count, and will admit that he “altered the world’s most valuable trading card, a Honus Wagner T206 that has fetched millions of dollars in a series of high-profile transactions”. It’s last sale was to Ken Kendrick, the owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who paid $2.8 million for the baseball card. Mastro originally purchased the card for $25,000. [Read more…]

July 25, 2012 By Jason DeBord

FBI: “William Mastro and Two Other Executives of Former Mastro Auctions Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Bidders in Online and Live Auctions of Sports Memorabilia and Other Collectibles”

The Chicago Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation have published a press release update regarding the ongoing investigation of alleged sports memorabilia fraud involving former Mastro Auction executives. Prosecutors claim that William Boehn, the Information Technology Director, made false statements to FBI agents. According to the FBI press release, the memorabilia auction house executives “were indicted on fraud charges for allegedly rigging auctions through a series of deceptive practices, including so-called “shill-bidding,” designed to inflate prices paid by bidders and to protect the interests of consignors and sellers at the expense of unwitting bidders.” [Read more…]

April 10, 2012 By Jason DeBord

Judge Sentences eBay Entertainment Memorabilia Dealer to over 8 years in Federal Prison and Orders to Pay Nearly $175,000 in Restitution to Victims

As reported on last year (see “eBay Entertainment Memorabilia Dealer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges in U.S. District Court“), eBay entertainment memorabilia dealer David Bruce Shyrock plead guilty to fraud charges in federal after defrauding over 1,200 eBay users out of nearly $175,000 by selling memorabilia with forged autographs on the popular online auction website. Today, the Joplin, Missouri man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Shyrock to pay $174,894 in restitution to his victims. [Read more…]

November 25, 2011 By Jason DeBord

FBI Press Release: “Three Men Plead Guilty to Fraud Involving Sports Memorabilia”

As reported by various mainstream media outlets this week (New York Daily News original report, NY Daily News follow-up, Forbes, WREX-13), several memorabilia dealers plead guilty this week to fraud charges related to the sale of “game worn” sports jerseys. Sentencing is scheduled for May 2012, and each maul fraud charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines. Though a different class of memorabilia from television and film, it is always encouraging to see the FBI direct attention to any sort of memorabilia fraud, as it is very prevalent in all collecting areas. [Read more…]

October 3, 2011 By Jason DeBord

eBay Entertainment Memorabilia Dealer Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges in U.S. District Court

Per Reuters and other sources, eBay entertainment memorabilia dealer David Bruce Shyrock plead guilty to fraud charges in federal court today. The Missouri resident faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for a variety of charges, including defrauding over 1,200 eBay users out of nearly $175,000 by selling memorabilia with forged autographs on the popular online auction website. [Read more…]