Two individuals from Washington state, Anthony Curcio and Iosif Bondarchuk, found themselves in hot water when their elaborate scheme involving fake graded sports and Pokémon cards came crashing down. The pair, aged 43 and 37 respectively, were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Their deceitful tactics led to them raking in more than $2 million by duping unsuspecting buyers.
The elaborate fraud orchestrated by Curcio and Bondarchuk caught the attention of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Their bogus operation, which ran between 2022 and May 2024, involved swapping lower-grade cards into cases misrepresenting them as higher-grade PSA 10 specimens, inflating their market values significantly.
Among the falsely represented items was a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card that was marketed as gem mint and sold for a whopping $171,000 through an online platform in Manhattan. The truth about the card’s actual grade surfaced later when the selling platform, MySlabs, flagged it as fraudulent and reported the matter to PSA and law enforcement. Notable misrepresented cards also included a 2009 Topps rookie card of Stephen Curry and a 1980 Topps featuring Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving.
The fraudulent activities were not limited to sports cards alone, as Pokémon cards also fell victim to their schemes. A 1999 first-edition Venusaur card was purportedly sold to an undercover law enforcement officer in Manhattan for $10,500, falsely labeled as a PSA 10.
Curcio and Bondarchuk are accused of attempting to sell these deceitful cards through various avenues such as card shops, shows, and online auctions. When confronted by dissatisfied buyers questioning the authenticity of their purchases, Bondarchuk allegedly went as far as providing false contact information, attributing it to unrelated individuals.
Should they be found guilty, both men could face a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. The FBI and PSA’s Brand Protection division joined forces during the investigation, underscoring the collaborative efforts to safeguard collectors and maintain the integrity of the trading card market.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the need for heightened vigilance in the collectibles market, sending a clear message to those contemplating engaging in similar deceptive practices. As the authorities crack down on fraudsters, collectors are urged to exercise caution and remain wary of too-good-to-be-true deals that may potentially turn out to be elaborate hoaxes.
