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The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office has dropped charges against a sports memorabilia dealer and an authenticator accused of participating in a scheme to sell items forged with the signature of retired Philadelphia Eagle All-Pro center Jason Kelce.
A DA spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that the office has withdrawn charges against Joseph Parenti, 39, of Cranston, RI, the owner of Diamond Legends, and LeeAnn Branco, 43, of Bristol, RI, an authenticator for Beckett Authentication Services.
They, along with Philadelphia resident Robert Capone, 51, the owner of Overtime Promotions, wereaccused in January of selling more than 1,000 items that allegedly had Kelce’s forged signature worth an estimated $200,000.
More Bucks County News How can you tell that Philadelphia Eagles autograph is real? What one expert told us
Cappone is awaiting trial before Common Pleas Judge Risa Vetri Ferman on 60 felony counts including forgery, theft by deception, and deceptive business practices. No date has been set, according to a DA spokeswoman.
Bucks County resident Alfred Scioli, 51, of Penndel, was charged in March with 60 felony counts including forgery, deceitful business practices, conspiracy and theft. He is the artist accused of forging Kelce’s signature, according to the DA.
The Montgomery County Detectives and Upper Merion Township police opened an investigation last July after the manager for Kelce and his wife, podcaster Kylie Kelce, alerted them that Overtime Promotions was purportedly selling more than 1,100 forged pieces of memorabilia advertised as being signed by Kelce, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Kelce appeared at a Valley Forge Casino Hotel for a memorabilia signing event June 11-12, 2024, but authorities allege that the former NFL player, who now offers football commentary on ESPN, did not sign items Capone listed for sale.
At the time of his arrest, Parenti maintained he was not involved in forging any items and that his company contracted with Capone and Overtime Promotions in advance of the signings to send memorabilia to the events.
When he was alerted there may be issues with the authenticity of the items, he pulled them from the marketplace, Parenti stated through a spokesman in January.
In the statement released Wednesday, a spokesman for Parenti reiterated that he and Diamond Legends were misled about the authenticity of the memorabilia.
“Mr. Parenti deeply regrets entering into a business arrangement with Overtime Promotions based in Philadelphia,” the statement said. We will also be more vigilant on who we partner with - and do business with going forward – as that has been the lesson of this unfortunate circumstance.”
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Charges withdrawn against 2 defendants in Jason Kelce forgery case
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A DA spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that the office has withdrawn charges against Joseph Parenti, 39, of Cranston, RI, the owner of Diamond Legends, and LeeAnn Branco, 43, of Bristol, RI, an authenticator for Beckett Authentication Services.
They, along with Philadelphia resident Robert Capone, 51, the owner of Overtime Promotions, wereaccused in January of selling more than 1,000 items that allegedly had Kelce’s forged signature worth an estimated $200,000.
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More Bucks County News How can you tell that Philadelphia Eagles autograph is real? What one expert told us
Cappone is awaiting trial before Common Pleas Judge Risa Vetri Ferman on 60 felony counts including forgery, theft by deception, and deceptive business practices. No date has been set, according to a DA spokeswoman.
Bucks County resident Alfred Scioli, 51, of Penndel, was charged in March with 60 felony counts including forgery, deceitful business practices, conspiracy and theft. He is the artist accused of forging Kelce’s signature, according to the DA.
The Montgomery County Detectives and Upper Merion Township police opened an investigation last July after the manager for Kelce and his wife, podcaster Kylie Kelce, alerted them that Overtime Promotions was purportedly selling more than 1,100 forged pieces of memorabilia advertised as being signed by Kelce, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Kelce appeared at a Valley Forge Casino Hotel for a memorabilia signing event June 11-12, 2024, but authorities allege that the former NFL player, who now offers football commentary on ESPN, did not sign items Capone listed for sale.
At the time of his arrest, Parenti maintained he was not involved in forging any items and that his company contracted with Capone and Overtime Promotions in advance of the signings to send memorabilia to the events.
When he was alerted there may be issues with the authenticity of the items, he pulled them from the marketplace, Parenti stated through a spokesman in January.
In the statement released Wednesday, a spokesman for Parenti reiterated that he and Diamond Legends were misled about the authenticity of the memorabilia.
“Mr. Parenti deeply regrets entering into a business arrangement with Overtime Promotions based in Philadelphia,” the statement said. We will also be more vigilant on who we partner with - and do business with going forward – as that has been the lesson of this unfortunate circumstance.”
Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Charges withdrawn against 2 defendants in Jason Kelce forgery case
Continue reading...
