Two Washington state men recently found themselves in hot water as they were arrested and charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Anthony Curcio, 43, hailing from Redmond, and 37-year-old Iosif Bondarchuk from Lake Stevens, are facing serious allegations surrounding a scam that involved selling fraudulently graded sports and Pokémon cards, amounting to a staggering $2 million in ill-gotten gains.
The fraudulent activities carried out by Curcio and Bondarchuk revolved around deceiving buyers by swapping out low-grade cards with misrepresented high-grade PSA 10 specimens. This unethical practice led to a significant increase in the market value of these cards, ultimately duping unsuspecting collectors and enthusiasts.
One of the standout items involved in this scam was a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card. The card was falsely presented as gem mint and managed to fetch a whopping $171,000 through an online marketplace in Manhattan. However, the selling platform, MySlabs, later discovered the fraudulence of the card and promptly reported the issue to PSA and law enforcement. Additionally, other misrepresented cards included a 2009 Topps rookie card of Stephen Curry and a 1980 Topps card featuring basketball legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving.
The illicit activities were not limited to sports cards as Pokémon cards also fell victim to this scheme. For instance, a 1999 first-edition Venusaur card was sold to an undercover law enforcement officer in Manhattan for $10,500, falsely labeled as PSA 10 to inflate its value.
Curcio and Bondarchuk employed various methods to sell or attempt to sell these bogus cards, including card shops, shows, and online auctions. When confronted by buyers questioning the authenticity of their purchases, Bondarchuk allegedly misled them by providing false contact information, attributing it to unrelated individuals.
The consequences of these actions are severe, with both men facing the possibility of up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The FBI and PSA’s Brand Protection division worked in conjunction during the investigation, demonstrating a united front in safeguarding collectors and maintaining the integrity of the trading card market.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in the collectibles market, urging individuals to exercise caution when engaging in transactions involving valuable items such as graded sports and Pokémon cards. It also stands as a warning to those contemplating fraudulent schemes, highlighting the serious repercussions that come with attempting to deceive and defraud unsuspecting buyers in the realm of collectibles.
