A complaint was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Mayo Gilbert McNeil with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme involving counterfeit sports trading cards. McNeil was arrested this morning in Denver and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. McNeil will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, FBI, New York Field Office, announced the arrest and charge.
“Protection from fraud extends to all consumers, regardless of what team they root for," stated United States Attorney Peace. “As alleged, the defendant orchestrated a years’ long and far-reaching scheme to defraud sports trading cards enthusiasts and the sports memorabilia industry. Our Office is committed to addressing counterfeiting at all levels of the market."
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department, which conducted this investigation with the FBI.
“As alleged, Mr. McNeil defrauded sports memorabilia collectors of more than $800,000 by intentionally misrepresenting the authenticity of the trading cards he was peddling when, in fact, they were counterfeit. The FBI remains committed to investigating fraud at all levels and bringing the subjects who engage in it to justice," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
As set forth in court filings, between April 2015 and July 2019, the defendant conspired with others to sell and trade sports trading cards, including 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie cards, with victims he found via the Internet and through online selling platforms. The defendant misrepresented that the sports trading cards he was offering were graded by a professional authentication company, when in reality the trading cards were not authentic. The defendant defrauded his victims of over $800,000 in cash and authentic sports trading cards that were traded for the counterfeits.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Mindlin are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MAYO GILBERT MCNEIL
Age: 82
Denver, Colorado
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-203
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys