Two Washington state men were charged Thursday in New York federal court with running a $2 million scheme to defraud buyers of sports and Pokémon trading cards by claiming low- or mid-grade cards were authentic and highly rated.
Anthony Curcio and Iosif Bondarchuk were charged with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy. Both were arrested Thursday morning and were scheduled to make an initial appearance in Washington federal court later in the day.
“Curcio and Bondarchuk allegedly sold and tried to sell at inflated prices cards of various professional athletes including, among others, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Nolan Ryan, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson as well as various valuable Pokémon cards,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners, the dedicated prosecutors of this office, and the many victims who came forward, this alleged fraud has had its last dance.”
Curcio and Bondarchuk could not be reached for comment.
$2M Sports, Pokémon Trading Card Scam: Scheme Details
Prosecutors claim Curcio, who sometimes used the name Brendan Wooley, and Bondarchuk told buyers that the cards had received high ratings from an unnamed card appraisal and authentication company.
