Two Washington men are facing fraud charges in New York for allegedly scheming to sell sports and Pokémon trading cards at inflated prices based on false grade ratings.
Anthony Curcio, a.k.a. Brendan Wooley, and Iosif Bondarchuk, a.k.a. Joe Bondarchuk, were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with the scheme, which resulted in more than $2 million in victim losses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
From at least 2022 to May 2024, Curcio and Bondarchuk allegedly duped buyers and marketplaces across the country by misrepresenting low-to-mid grade cards as having received high-grade ratings from a reputable card authentication company.
Sports trading cards, which depict professional athletes, and Pokémon game cards can potentially have high resale values depending on factors like rarity and condition.
A "prominent card authenticator and grader" identified in court documents as Company-1 normally authenticates and grades trading cards on a scale of one to 10, then seals them "in a distinctive, tamper-resistant plastic case" to preserve its condition, and attaches a label indicating the grade.
Curcio and Bondarchuk allegedly sold cards at inflated prices by fraudulently claiming Company-1 had assigned them higher ratings than they really had, affixing purported Company-1 labels with fraudulent bar codes and certification numbers.
In one example, Curcio advertised a 1986 Michael Jordan card on the Manhattan Marketplace as being graded a 10 by Company-1. The value of the card graded as an 8 would be between $6,000 and $7,000, but graded as a 10 it would be worth between approximately $185,000 and $203,000.
Along with online marketplaces, Curcio and Bondarchuk sold and attempted to sell fraudulent cards in person at card shops, auctions, and card shows.
In July of last year, an undercover law enforcement officer purchased a fraudulently advertised 1999 Pokémon Venusaur card for $10,500. Bondarchuk had previously attempted to sell the card online. Curcio mailed the card to the undercover agent in Manhattan after the money was wired to a Curcio-controlled bank account.
The pair also allegedly used a variety of false names and identities to conceal their fraud.
"As alleged, Anthony Curcio and Iosif Bondarchuk carried out a brazen, nationwide fraud scheme involving valuable sports and Pokémon trading cards to deceive buyers and marketplaces, ultimately amassing over $2 million in fraudulent and attempted sales. Curcio and Bondarchuk allegedly sold and tried to sell at inflated prices cards of various professional athletes, including, among others, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Nolan Ryan, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson, as well as various valuable Pokémon cards," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. "Our message today is clear: no matter what product you're selling, if you try to deceive the public to make money, you will be brought to justice."
If convicted, Curcio and Bondarchuk each face up to 20 years in prison for each of the two counts.
"For over two years, Anthony Curcio and Joe Bondarchuk allegedly manipulated common-level trading cards to fraudulently inflate the retail price from its true market value by assigning false validity grades, resulting in more than $2 million in victim losses," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith. "This alleged scheme not only damages the reputation of a respectable authentication company, but the defendants' alleged actions also betray the trust and wallets of avid collectors."
-With reporting from TMX.
