A Southern California man now living in Mexico has pleaded guilty to selling fake memorabilia, including purported Kobe Bryant and Kardashian family autographs, which have been revealed to be forgeries.
Anthony J. Tremayne, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud related to his selling memorabilia ostensibly linked to famous athletes, musicians, actors, and other celebrities. In total, Tremayne now admits, he sold between $250K and $550K in fake memorabilia between 2010 and 2019.
Tremayne falsely advertised the memorabilia as genuine and sometimes included a ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ form, which customers relied upon to make their purchases.
The problems for Tremayne began in 2020, when sold photographs of the Kardashian family containing forged signatures of three of the show’s 22 characters. The buyer in this transaction turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.
Tremayne faces up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced on August 11.
Bryant memorabilia has been coveted by basketball fans since long before he was tragically killed with daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a 2020 helicopter crash.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant signs autographs for the local kids in Central City, New Orleans
Bryant drinks from a Gatorade bottle as he sits on the bench during a preseason game in 2005
Last August, Bryant’s old locker at Staples Center sold at auction for $2.9 million, according to Sotheby’s. Bryant was known to have used the locker at the Staples Center from the 2003-04 season to the 2015-16 season – his final year in the NBA.
The item had previously been in storage for ‘years,’ the company said, after being discovered while the Staples Center was being renovated in 2018.
Sotheby’s said the locker – along with the rest of what remained in the locker room – would have been thrown out if not for a ‘vigilant’ maintenance worker.
‘Kobe Bryant’s locker at the Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it’s a sacred relic of his unparalleled journey,’ Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables, said in a press release.
‘This locker was Kobe’s sanctuary amidst triumphs and challenges, a witness to the highs and lows of a storied career. Every achievement and hardship left its mark within these walls. Its appearance now at auction symbolizes a rare opportunity to own a unique piece of Kobe’s legacy.’
Bryant is considered a Lakers and NBA legend, after a career with five championships, a ridiculous 15 All-NBA selections and one MVP win.
There were also countless highlight moments that he produced in the Staples Center (now known as Crypto.com Arena), including his incredible 81-point game in 2006, and his storybook 60-point performance in his final game.
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