Eric
05-15-2013, 07:05 PM
Justice Department drops fraud charges against a NJ sports memorabilia dealer
Defense attorneys claimed witnesses – including three employees of the New York Giants -- lied to federal agents and the grand jury that indicted the dealer.
BY MICHAEL O’KEEFFE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013, 7:50 PM
DUNCAN WILLIAMS/LANDOV
Defense attorneys claim three employees of the Giants lied to federal agents and the grand jury.
The Justice Department dropped fraud charges against a New Jersey sports memorabilia dealer earlier this month after defense attorneys claimed witnesses – including three employees of the New York Giants -- lied to federal agents and the grand jury that indicted the dealer.
Prosecutor Michael Love of the Northern Illinois U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the feds would drop the charges against Eric Inselberg at a May 2 hearing in Rockford, Ill., before U.S. District Court Judge Philip G. Reinhard.
“I can tell the court that the U.S. Attorney's Office reevaluated the strength of the case in light of some new facts that were pointed out to us by defense counsel, and we determined that the prosecution was no longer appropriate,” Love said.
Inselberg was one of six memorabilia dealers who were charged with fraud in 2011; prosecutors say the men sold hundreds of bogus game-used jerseys to trading card companies and other buyers. The charges stemmed from a six-year investigation into fraud in the sports industry conducted by the Chicago FBI and other federal agencies.
The other plaintiffs -- Bradley Wells, Jarrod Oldridge, Bradley Horne, Bernard Gernay and Mitchell Schumacher – have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Inselberg, however, chose to fight the case, and a superseding indictment returned by an Illinois grand jury in September charged him with four counts of mail fraud.
Inselberg’s attorneys, Michael Critchley and Edmund DeNoia, claimed in court papers that Edward Wagner, the Giants’ equipment/locker room manager, lied when he told the FBI that he never sold or gave game-used items to Inselberg. Inselberg had 234 photographs and a notebook that documented numerous jersey deals between him and Wagner.
“Mr. Wagner had been selling game-used memorabilia to Mr. Inselberg and others since the 1990s,” the defense lawyers wrote. “In fact, the New York Giants organization previously disciplined Mr. Wagner for selling game-used memorabilia in the early 2000s.”
The court papers also say that Giants equipment director Joseph Skiba and his brother, assistant equipment manager Ed Skiba, lied to the FBI and the grand jury about providing game-used items to Inselberg. Inselberg and Joseph Skiba received a patent in 2006 for a lightweight helmet they say minimizes injuries.
None of the Giants’ employees have been charged with perjury or making false statements to a federal agent, and a spokesman for the Northern Illinois U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro declined to comment. A source close to the Giants’ employees who requested anonymity said all three are still employed by the club.
Critchley and DeNoia also claim in court papers that another man with ties to the Giants, Barry Barone, also lied to the FBI and the grand jury when he said he could not get Giants’ game-used jerseys for Inselberg. Barone is the owner of Park Cleaners, the Rutherford, N.J., business that handles laundering and maintenance of uniforms for the Giants and other sports teams.
“In fact, Mr. Inselberg has had a business relationship purchasing game-used jerseys through Mr. Barone for more than 15 years,” the court papers say.
Barone, who has also not been charged with perjury or false statements, told the Daily News that he did not lie to the grand jury or agents. He declined further comment.
The defense lawyers also say that Gernay and Oldridge lied when they told investigators that Inselberg had been involved in their schemes to sell bogus jerseys.
Critchley and Denoia, the witnesses in the case, lied to protect themselves and their own interests. “The motivation is self-interest,” Critchley said.
Inselberg may have dodged criminal charges, but collectors say he has dubious reputation in the sports memorabilia industry. Inselberg has been linked to a North Carolina warm-up jacket sold by Mastro Auctions in 2007 for $11,000. Mastro officials claimed the jersey had belonged to NBA star Michael Jordan.
Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services, one of the hobby’s leading authentication services, concluded that while the jersey appeared to be a legitimate North Carolina shooting shirt from the 1980s, it did not belong to Jordan. When the shirt was placed over a light table, it was apparent that another name had been removed from the back and replaced with "JORDAN." The letters also seemed to be made of different materials than other patches on the piece, according to MEARS.
“Our position,” DeNoia said, “is that Eric did not do anything wrong in connection with the Michael Jordan jersey issue.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/justice-dept-drops-fraud-charges-sports-memorabilia-dealer-article-1.1345254#ixzz2TPSrpA1g
Defense attorneys claimed witnesses – including three employees of the New York Giants -- lied to federal agents and the grand jury that indicted the dealer.
BY MICHAEL O’KEEFFE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013, 7:50 PM
DUNCAN WILLIAMS/LANDOV
Defense attorneys claim three employees of the Giants lied to federal agents and the grand jury.
The Justice Department dropped fraud charges against a New Jersey sports memorabilia dealer earlier this month after defense attorneys claimed witnesses – including three employees of the New York Giants -- lied to federal agents and the grand jury that indicted the dealer.
Prosecutor Michael Love of the Northern Illinois U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the feds would drop the charges against Eric Inselberg at a May 2 hearing in Rockford, Ill., before U.S. District Court Judge Philip G. Reinhard.
“I can tell the court that the U.S. Attorney's Office reevaluated the strength of the case in light of some new facts that were pointed out to us by defense counsel, and we determined that the prosecution was no longer appropriate,” Love said.
Inselberg was one of six memorabilia dealers who were charged with fraud in 2011; prosecutors say the men sold hundreds of bogus game-used jerseys to trading card companies and other buyers. The charges stemmed from a six-year investigation into fraud in the sports industry conducted by the Chicago FBI and other federal agencies.
The other plaintiffs -- Bradley Wells, Jarrod Oldridge, Bradley Horne, Bernard Gernay and Mitchell Schumacher – have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Inselberg, however, chose to fight the case, and a superseding indictment returned by an Illinois grand jury in September charged him with four counts of mail fraud.
Inselberg’s attorneys, Michael Critchley and Edmund DeNoia, claimed in court papers that Edward Wagner, the Giants’ equipment/locker room manager, lied when he told the FBI that he never sold or gave game-used items to Inselberg. Inselberg had 234 photographs and a notebook that documented numerous jersey deals between him and Wagner.
“Mr. Wagner had been selling game-used memorabilia to Mr. Inselberg and others since the 1990s,” the defense lawyers wrote. “In fact, the New York Giants organization previously disciplined Mr. Wagner for selling game-used memorabilia in the early 2000s.”
The court papers also say that Giants equipment director Joseph Skiba and his brother, assistant equipment manager Ed Skiba, lied to the FBI and the grand jury about providing game-used items to Inselberg. Inselberg and Joseph Skiba received a patent in 2006 for a lightweight helmet they say minimizes injuries.
None of the Giants’ employees have been charged with perjury or making false statements to a federal agent, and a spokesman for the Northern Illinois U.S. Attorney Gary Shapiro declined to comment. A source close to the Giants’ employees who requested anonymity said all three are still employed by the club.
Critchley and DeNoia also claim in court papers that another man with ties to the Giants, Barry Barone, also lied to the FBI and the grand jury when he said he could not get Giants’ game-used jerseys for Inselberg. Barone is the owner of Park Cleaners, the Rutherford, N.J., business that handles laundering and maintenance of uniforms for the Giants and other sports teams.
“In fact, Mr. Inselberg has had a business relationship purchasing game-used jerseys through Mr. Barone for more than 15 years,” the court papers say.
Barone, who has also not been charged with perjury or false statements, told the Daily News that he did not lie to the grand jury or agents. He declined further comment.
The defense lawyers also say that Gernay and Oldridge lied when they told investigators that Inselberg had been involved in their schemes to sell bogus jerseys.
Critchley and Denoia, the witnesses in the case, lied to protect themselves and their own interests. “The motivation is self-interest,” Critchley said.
Inselberg may have dodged criminal charges, but collectors say he has dubious reputation in the sports memorabilia industry. Inselberg has been linked to a North Carolina warm-up jacket sold by Mastro Auctions in 2007 for $11,000. Mastro officials claimed the jersey had belonged to NBA star Michael Jordan.
Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services, one of the hobby’s leading authentication services, concluded that while the jersey appeared to be a legitimate North Carolina shooting shirt from the 1980s, it did not belong to Jordan. When the shirt was placed over a light table, it was apparent that another name had been removed from the back and replaced with "JORDAN." The letters also seemed to be made of different materials than other patches on the piece, according to MEARS.
“Our position,” DeNoia said, “is that Eric did not do anything wrong in connection with the Michael Jordan jersey issue.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/justice-dept-drops-fraud-charges-sports-memorabilia-dealer-article-1.1345254#ixzz2TPSrpA1g