Former West Covina man pleads guilty in case involving sale of bogus memorabilia with fake celebrity autographs
Former West Covina man pleads guilty in case involving sale of bogus memorabilia with fake celebrity autographs
A former West Covina man pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud in connection with allegations that he sold at least $250,000 worth of fake celebrity memorabilia with forged signatures from stars like Kim Kardashian and Kobe Bryant.
Anthony J. Tremayne, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud after reportedly selling fake memorabilia of athletes, actors, musicians and other celebrities from at least 2010 to December 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Tremayne is originally from West Covina and now lives in Rosarito, Mexico, allegedly to avoid about $1.4 million in taxes owed to the U.S. government, according to a grand jury indictment.
Prosecutors accused Tremayne of advertising nationwide that he was selling genuine autographed memorabilia that was actually fake.
Customers paid Tremayne and got the memorabilia in the mail, sometimes with an authenticity certificate that Tremayne also forged, the Justice Department said.
In November 2019, for instance, Tremayne reportedly sold a “Keeping up with the Kardashians” poster with forged signatures from Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian to an undercover FBI agent in Anaheim for $200.
He also allegedly sold guitars with forged signatures from Prince and Carrie Underwood, and replica Stanley Cups with fake signatures from professional hockey players, among other memorabilia.
Tremayne sold somewhere between $250,000 and $550,000 worth of bogus celebrity memorabilia, according to his plea agreement.
His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 11. He faces a maximum 20 years in federal prison.
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