Man convicted in nationwide scheme involving fraudulent sports and Pokémon trading card sales

New York – A nationwide fraud scheme that exploited the booming collectibles market came to a decisive end this week when a federal jury convicted a Washington state man for selling sports and Pokémon trading cards with counterfeit professional grades, misleading buyers out of millions of dollars.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton announced that ANTHONY CURCIO was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud following a two-and-a-half-week trial in federal court. The verdict was delivered before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, concluding a case that detailed a calculated effort to deceive collectors across the country by manipulating one of the most trusted systems in the trading card industry.

“Millions of Americans participate in our collectibles markets, and they should be free from fraud and manipulations,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Anthony Curcio now faces years in prison, and his conviction is a cautionary tale for those who would abuse the collectibles markets. Our Office is dedicated to ensuring that markets of all kinds, including collectibles markets, are safe from fraudsters. Anthony Curcio tried to cover his tracks and hide what he had done, but thanks to our law enforcement partners and the many victims who came forward, he has now been convicted of serious federal crimes.”

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According to the indictment, court filings, and testimony presented at trial, the fraud scheme ran from at least 2022 through May 2024. During that time, CURCIO and his co-conspirator, IOSIF BONDARCHUK, sold and attempted to sell sports and Pokémon trading cards to buyers nationwide. The cards were presented as having been professionally graded and authenticated by Professional Sports Authenticator, commonly known as PSA, a leading authority in the collectibles grading industry. In reality, the grades were forged.

Prosecutors said CURCIO was the architect of the operation, directing the scheme and controlling its execution. BONDARCHUK acted as a front man, communicating with buyers, listing cards for sale online, and conducting in-person transactions. This arrangement allowed CURCIO to remain largely hidden from victims, online platforms, and law enforcement.

The fraudulent cards were offered on popular online marketplaces and auction sites, including eBay, as well as through in-person sales at card shops, card shows, and private meetings with collectors. Some individual cards were listed for thousands of dollars, while others were priced at sums reaching into the hundreds of thousands. In truth, prosecutors said, many of the cards were worth only a small fraction of the advertised price.

In total, the scheme sought to deprive buyers of more than $2 million by misrepresenting the condition and authenticity of numerous trading cards.

The case highlighted how critical professional grading has become in the modern collectibles market. Sports and Pokémon cards can carry significant resale value, depending largely on their condition and whether they have been authenticated by a recognized grading service. PSA plays a central role in that process, examining cards for authenticity and assigning a numerical grade from one to 10, with higher grades often commanding dramatically higher prices.

Once graded, PSA seals each card in a tamper-resistant plastic case and affixes a label showing the grade and a unique certification number. That number can be checked in PSA’s public database, allowing buyers to confirm that the card was legitimately graded. A high PSA grade can multiply a card’s market value, sometimes instantly.

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Prosecutors said CURCIO exploited this system by altering genuine PSA labels. He targeted ungraded cards or cards with lower grades, removed or cleaned off the original rating and serial numbers, and then printed counterfeit labels showing elite grades of nine or 10 along with fabricated certification numbers. The doctored labels were then used to make the cards appear far more valuable than they actually were.

The scheme focused heavily on high-demand collectibles, including vintage rookie sports cards and Pokémon cards prized by serious collectors. Particular attention was paid to Michael Jordan rookie cards, which can sell for extraordinary prices when professionally graded at the highest levels.

Evidence at trial showed that CURCIO took elaborate steps to conceal his role. In addition to using BONDARCHUK as an intermediary, he adopted fake identities to distance himself from transactions and deflect suspicion. Even when buyers discovered the fraud, CURCIO continued his scheme. Prosecutors said that when confronted, he would refund the buyer, retrieve the card, and then sell the same card again to a new victim.

In one striking example presented in court, CURCIO attempted to sell the same Michael Jordan rookie card three separate times, each time assigning it a different forged grade to maximize its perceived value.

The jury ultimately found that these actions constituted a deliberate and sustained effort to defraud collectors who relied on PSA grading as a safeguard against counterfeit or misrepresented items. The verdict underscored the vulnerability of even sophisticated markets when trust mechanisms are abused.

CURCIO, 45, of Redmond, Washington, now faces significant prison time. Each of the counts for which he was convicted carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison. The court emphasized that these statutory maximums are set by Congress and that the actual sentence will be determined by the judge at a later date.

BONDARCHUK, 38, of Lake Stevens, Washington, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. His cooperation and role as a front man were detailed during the trial, providing jurors with insight into how the scheme operated on a day-to-day basis.

Federal officials credited the investigation to close cooperation between prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and victims who came forward after discovering they had been deceived. The case was handled by the Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton, Kingdar Prussien, and Cecilia Vogel led the prosecution. Jay Clayton also praised the FBI’s work in unraveling a scheme that spanned multiple states and relied heavily on online commerce.

The conviction sends a clear message to those operating in collectibles markets, which have seen explosive growth in recent years. As interest in trading cards and other memorabilia continues to rise, federal authorities say they will remain focused on protecting consumers from fraud schemes that undermine confidence in these markets.

For collectors, the case serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying certification numbers and remaining cautious, even when dealing with items that appear professionally graded. For law enforcement, it reinforces the reality that fraud can take many forms, including those hidden behind plastic cases and glossy labels.