Seventh-Inning Stretch · Off the Bench
The Archivist's Silverware
United States v. Rogers (2017)
Charge: Wire fraud - sports photo archivist and memorabilia dealer accused of selling fakes and lying to investors and lendersCourt: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of IllinoisDocket: Off the Bench
Did a memorabilia dealer commit fraud by raising money from investors and lenders on false statements backed by counterfeit collectibles?
The facts
An Arkansas collector built a business buying old newspaper photo archives and digitizing them, and ran a sports card and memorabilia shop. Costs ran far past his projections. Prosecutors said he raised millions from investors and lenders with false statements and pledged counterfeit memorabilia as collateral, including a college football trophy doctored from a cheaper award and fake vintage baseball cards. Even after pleading to the charge and cooperating with the FBI, he kept selling fakes through others, including a phony silverware set attributed to a legendary slugger.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Rogers, U.S. District Court, N.D. Ill. (Chicago); guilty plea Mar. 2017; sentenced Dec. 20, 2017 (no reported opinion)
Read more at arkansasonline.com. The source reveals the outcome.