Two men from Washington state, Anthony Curcio, 43, of Redmond, and Iosif Bondarchuk, 37, of Lake Stevens, have found themselves in hot water after being arrested and charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charges laid against them are rooted in a scheme they orchestrated, involving the deceitful sale of sports and Pokémon cards that were misgraded, resulting in a windfall of over $2 million from unsuspecting buyers.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, between 2022 and May 2024, Curcio and Bondarchuk allegedly partook in deceptive practices to push these fake cards onto the market. Their modus operandi involved swapping lower-grade cards into cases that were incorrectly labeled as higher-grade PSA 10 specimens, greatly inflating their market values and deceiving collectors.
One of the most notable items sold in this elaborate scam was a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card. The card, which was falsely advertised as gem mint, was sold for a whopping $171,000 through an online marketplace in Manhattan. The fraud came to light when the selling platform, MySlabs, discovered the deceit and promptly reported the matter to PSA and the authorities. Other misrepresented cards included a 2009 Topps rookie card of Stephen Curry and a 1980 Topps card featuring Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving.
The fraudulent activities didn’t stop at sports cards; they also extended to Pokémon cards. In one instance, a 1999 first-edition Venusaur card was sold to an undercover law enforcement officer in Manhattan for $10,500, falsely labeled as a PSA 10 card.
Curcio and Bondarchuk are accused of peddling these fake cards at various venues, such as card shops, shows, and online auctions. Moreover, when faced with complaints about the authenticity of the purchased items, Bondarchuk reportedly went as far as providing false contact information, attributing it to unrelated individuals in an attempt to mislead buyers.
Should they be found guilty, both men could be looking at a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. The FBI and PSA’s Brand Protection division teamed up to investigate this case, shedding light on the ongoing efforts to safeguard collectors and maintain the integrity of the trading card market.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant in the world of collectibles. It also delivers a clear message to individuals contemplating engaging in similar fraudulent activities that the consequences are severe and the law will catch up with them sooner or later.
