$200k Memorabilia Scam Uncovered, 3 Charged W/ Selling Fake Jason Kelce Merch

Jason Kelce‘s signature is value a fairly penny … and officers say three individuals tried to capitalize, allegedly promoting $200K value of pretend memorabilia, earlier than they have been busted!

The Montgomery County District Legal professional’s Workplace (PA) introduced Thursday that Robert Capone, LeeAnn Branco, and Joseph Parenti are going through 60 felony counts, starting from theft to forgery, for his or her alleged roles within the scheme.

Capone, 51, Branco, 43, and Parenti, 39, are accused of mendacity concerning the authenticity and provenance of greater than 1,100 gadgets, together with helmets, jerseys, images and footballs, promoting the gadgets on a web site as real-deal signed Kelce merch.

Authorities say Branco, in June 2024, attended an autograph signing in Pennsylvania the place Kelce was current, taking a photograph with the Professional Bowl lineman “in order to validate her in-the-presence authentication of the forged memorabilia that was never actually signed by Kelce.”

Finally, officers say the faux gadgets have been bought via two sports activities memorabilia companies owned by Capone and Parenti, with Branco, an worker of Beckett Authentication Companies, offering false verification.

After gadgets have been bought, authorities say an area police division was tipped off that one thing was unsuitable … and so they started investigating.

Capone was arraigned on Wednesday … and launched on $100k bail. He has a listening to scheduled in early February.