Christmas is less than a week away but a federal judge may hand former sports memorabilia and photograph dealer John Rogers a big lump of coal on Wednesday. U.S. Attorney John Lausch is asking Judge Thomas Durkin to put the North Little Rock, Arkansas man in prison for over 13 years—and hand him a bill for $23.6 million in restitution to banks and others he … [Read more...]
Mortgage Fraudster’s Collection Goes to Auction
The Burlington County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office is holding an auction of sports memorabilia confiscated from a local mortgage broker who defrauded customers. Mark Begley, 52, was sentenced last year to four years in state prison for defrauding ten people and two banks of $183,000. He used some of the proceeds to build a collection that’s now being sold. The … [Read more...]
Allen Attorneys Ask Judge for Leniency
Attorneys for former Mastro Auctions executive Doug Allen have asked a federal judge for mercy ahead of his February 8 sentencing on fraud charges. Submitting a 39-page letter and more than 100 pages of exhibits as part of a pre-sentencing investigation report, attorneys Valarie Hays and Shawna Boothe of Schiff-Harden in Chicago asked Judge Ronald Guzman to sentence … [Read more...]
Mastro Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison
Once one of the hobby’s most powerful players, Bill Mastro will soon be an inmate. The former owner and CEO of Chicago-based Mastro Auctions was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to 20 months in prison. The sentence matched the recommendation of government attorneys prosecuting the case. Mastro, 62, has already paid a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty to fraud, … [Read more...]