Billion Dollar Counterfeit Scheme Rocks Autographed Sports Memorabilia Market
In what can only be described as one of the most complex and longest-running schemes in recent history, the FBI and state and local law enforcement authorities are now investigating a suicide that has potential ties to one of, if not, the biggest instance of counterfeiting to hit the sports collectibles and memorabilia marketplace, ever.
It all began to unravel on Tuesday, July 15th when the FBI along with Westfield, Indiana police raided a a location on South Park Drive that they had sought as part of an investigation into the fraudulent creation and subsequent sales of counterfeit sports collectibles. That raid, which was the first of two, led the suspect, Brett Lemieux, to post a comprehensive overview of the operation via facebook.
On the following day, Wednesday July 16th, officers would then respond to a second location, within the 300 block of Hoover Street, where they discovered a deceased individual with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have not released the person’s identity, but said the FBI is now actively involved in the ongoing case.
According to county property records, the address located on the 300 block of Hoover Street is owned by Club Wag Investments LLC, a company connected to Brett Lemieux, a locally known collectibles dealer and with a well-established reputation throughout the autographed collectibles marketplace. Lemieux, who as at the center of the scandal, posted a lengthy confession that appeared in a private Facebook autograph group that included vital details of the operation, its dealings and named names of well-known partners throughout the industry.
In the facebook confession, Lemieux admitted to orchestrating the 20-year scheme involving forged autographs (that were created through the use of an autopen) and the fabrication of counterfeit certificates of authenticity from well-known dealers and authentication companies. Within the body of the now infamous Facebook admission, Lemieux named several alleged co-conspirators and described how both Federal and Local investigators gathered substantial evidence during Tuesday’s raid.
Lemieux’s checkered past isn’t surprising at all, especially since he was sanctioned as the result of a 2013 lawsuit from Indiana’s Attorney General’s Office. This lawsuit, which resulted in Lemieux having to pay restitution to victims as a result of complaints related to his business, Ultimate Athlete Ink and Ultimate Sports Connection.
At the end of the day, the “Lemieux Scandal” will easily dethrone “Operation Bullpen” when it comes to overall reach, scandal scope, and shock value. By employing cutting-edge forgery tools such as autopens, designing and duplicating fake certificates of authenticity that were tied to the most trusted names in the industry, and an operation that was kept under wraps for over two decades, this week’s fallout is just the beginning.
In the coming days, weeks, and months, there will be an in-depth investigation and potentially even more fallout impacting collectors, dealers, and even the once-trusted names of authentication houses. If the details of this scandal prove to be as true as Lemieux’s Facebook post indicate, his two-decade scandal could very well become the darkest chapter in sports memorabilia history.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
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