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. Their elaborate scheme involved the sale of fraudulently graded sports and Pokémon cards, which managed to rake in over $2 million from unsuspecting buyers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York revealed that between the years 2022 and May 2024, Curcio and Bondarchuk were engaged in deceptive practices aimed at unloading these doctored cards to unsuspecting collectors. The duo allegedly took lower-grade cards and placed them in cases that misrepresented them as higher-grade PSA 10 specimens, leading to a significant inflation in their market values.
One of the notable items that were part of their fraudulent activities was a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card. This card, which was falsely depicted as gem mint, was sold for a whopping $171,000 through an online marketplace in Manhattan. However, the selling platform, MySlabs, soon discovered the fraud and promptly reported the issue to both PSA and law enforcement. 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 extended to Pokémon cards as well. In a particular instance, a 1999 first-edition Venusaur card was deceitfully sold to an undercover law enforcement officer in Manhattan for $10,500 under the guise of being a PSA 10.
A variety of venues were used by Curcio and Bondarchuk to sell or attempt to sell the misrepresentations, including card shops, shows, and online auctions. In cases where buyers raised concerns about the authenticity of their purchases, Bondarchuk allegedly misled them by providing false contact information, attributing it to unrelated individuals.
Should they be found guilty, both men could potentially face up to 20 years in prison. The FBI and PSA’s Brand Protection division worked hand in hand during the investigation, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to safeguard collectors and preserve the integrity of the trading card market.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the necessity for vigilance within the collectibles market and stands as a cautionary tale for anyone considering partaking in similar deceitful practices. It’s a story that highlights the lengths some individuals will go to in the pursuit of ill-gotten gains, underscoring the importance of due diligence and authenticity in the world of trading cards.
