California Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Celebrity Memorabilia

A California man, Anthony J. Tremayne, has pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit memorabilia for nearly a decade. Federal prosecutors announced on Monday that Tremayne, 58, admitted to selling items falsely represented as containing genuine signatures of celebrities.

The fraudulent activity spanned from approximately 2010 to December 2019. Tremayne provided items, often accompanied by fake "Certificates of Authenticity," claiming they bore authentic signatures of athletes, musicians, actors, and other well-known figures. He confessed to selling up to $550,000 worth of these counterfeit items.

The scheme was exposed in November 2019 when Tremayne sold a "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" photograph with forged signatures to an undercover FBI agent. The investigation revealed that the forged items included signed memorabilia from various NBA teams, replica Stanley Cups, boxing gloves, and fraudulent Masters jackets and flags. Movie memorabilia with forged signatures was also part of the scheme.

Tremayne, currently residing in Mexico, initially faced multiple charges, including 13 counts of wire fraud. As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for August 11, and he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.