Man pleads innocent in sports memorabilia fraud case
By: North County Times wire services SAN DIEGO - A New York man accused of selling forged sports and celebrity memorabilia from his shop in Long Island and over the Internet pleaded innocent in San Diego Friday to 13 federal charges. | ∞
Brian Ginsberg faces one count of conspiracy and 12 mail fraud charges.
He was indicted as a result of "Operation Bullpen," which was spearheaded by the FBI to target sellers of counterfeit sports and celebrity memorabilia in San Diego and nationwide.
According to the indictment, Ginsberg conspired with former boxer Charles "Chuck" Wepner and others to sell hundreds of pieces of memorabilia bearing the forged signatures of boxers such as Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano, falsely claiming that Wepner's personal relationship with the boxers allowed him to obtain genuine autographs.
The alleged crimes occurred between 1997 and May 2003, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson.
Ginsberg, 31, who was doing business as Laura's Cartoons and Collectibles, is due back in court Sept. 12 for a hearing on motions in his case.
Wepner pleaded guilty on May 4 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Nathan Harrison, a wholesaler of counterfeit memorabilia who ran LNN Enterprises in San Marcos, was sentenced to six months in prison in August 2001.
Harrison admitted receiving forged sports and celebrity memorabilia, then selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of the bogus items to unwitting customers, according to prosecutors.
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