Three people implicated in promoting cast Jason Kelce-signed sports activities memorabilia valued at over $200K face dozens of prison fees, the Montgomery County District Attorney introduced on Thursday.
Robert Capone, 51, LeeAnn Branco, 43, and Joseph Parenti, 39, have been charged with 60 felonies, together with forgery, robbery by means of deception and working within the proceeds of illegal practices, after making an attempt to cross over 1000 counterfeit sports activities memorabilia pieces purportedly autographed by means of Kelce as original items.
According to the District Attorney’s administrative center, the 3 suspects used Branco’s standing as a Beckett Authentication Services worker to “verify” cast Kelce signatures that he supposedly gave on the Valley Forge Casino Hotel in Pennsylvania in June 2024. The pretend pieces have been then indexed on the market with a certificates of authenticity by means of Overtime Promotions and Diamond Legends, which can be owned by means of Capone and Parenti, respectively.
“The value of these 1,138 memorabilia items—including signed jerseys, helmets, mini-helmets, hats, photos, footballs and other items—was approximately $200,000,” the District Attorney’s administrative center stated in a observation.
The Montgomery County District Attorney was once alerted to the counterfeit pieces in June 2024 by means of THC Humphreys LLC, the sports activities memorabilia corporate that gotten smaller Kelce to habits a sound signing at a non-public tournament on the Valley Forge Casino Hotel at the days that the cast products was once stated to be signed.
“Branco and Parenti attended the legitimate signing event on June 11, 2024, at the Valley Forge Casino Hotel, and Branco secured a photo with Kelce in order to validate her in-the-presence authentication of the forged memorabilia that was never actually signed by Kelce,” the observation added.
In a observation to ABC News, Beckett Authentication Services apologized to any individual impacted by means of the rip-off and promised money back. “A bad-acting independent contractor broke Beckett protocols. Luckily, we have identified this scheme, involved the authorities to take all proper legal action and are now looking to buy back all the fraudulent memorabilia,” the corporate stated. The USA TODAY app will get you to the center of the scoop — rapid. Download for award-winning protection, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and extra.
