$200K fake memorabilia scam by Philly man ‘damaged’ Eagles legend’s reputation
Eagles legend's name was forged in $200K fake memorabilia.
A Philadelphia man believed former Eagles legend Jason Kelce’s name would make him rich. He thought wrong. Robert Capone has been given five years of probation for attempting to sell more than 1,100 items with Kelce’s fake signature on it.
Capone’s scheme failed and brought charges against him. He pleaded guilty to theft, forgery and conspiracy for trying to sell fake Kelce autographs, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer reported Capone’s original plan was to sell $200,000 worth of fake Kelce memorabilia.
With the assistance of his friend and artist, Alfred P. Sicoli, he forged Kelce’s signatures on the items. Capone wanted to make big money.
But instead, his scheme left him in significant debt. Capone, the owner of a sports marketing firm and a sports memorabilia seller, will have to pay most of his $72,000 restitution payment back to the people he stole from, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. Judge Risa Vetri Ferman said during sentencing that Capone’s scheme must have “damaged” Kelce’s reputation and the reputation of the sports memorabilia industry, per The Inquirer.