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$200K Forged Jason Kelce Memorabilia Scheme Lands Trio Charges: MontCo DA

Three individuals face 60 felony charges after allegedly forging and selling fake memorabilia purportedly signed by former Eagles star Jason Kelce, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Robert Capone, 51, of Philadelphia; LeeAnn Branco, 43, of Bristol, Rhode Island; and Joseph Parenti, 39, of Cranston, Rhode Island, are accused of conspiring to sell counterfeit sports memorabilia, including jerseys, helmets, and photographs, falsely certified as signed by Jason Kelce. The fraudulent scheme caused financial losses exceeding $200,000, authorities said.

The investigation began in July 2024 when Montgomery County Detectives and Upper Merion Township Police received a complaint from Winnie Capital, LLC, owned by Jason and Kylie Kelce. Emily Ries, a manager for the Kelces, reported that Capone’s company, Overtime Promotions, was selling forged items under the guise of authenticity, detectives said.

Kelce had legitimately signed memorabilia during a private event hosted by TCH Humphreys LLC at the Valley Forge Casino Hotel on June 11-12, 2024. The event used Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) for verification, but investigators say Capone, Branco, and Parenti used Branco’s credentials with Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) to falsely certify 1,138 forged items as “In-The-Presence” signed by Kelce.

Scheme Details

Branco attended the legitimate signing and took a photo with Kelce to fabricate evidence for BAS certifications, according to court documents. Detectives later found that the images Branco submitted were from an unrelated 2021 event. Parenti allegedly distributed the fake memorabilia through his business, Diamond Legends, while Capone collected authentic items during the signing and kept others for forgeries.

Cell phone records and witness interviews revealed discrepancies in the defendants' accounts. Records showed no communication between Kelce and the defendants during the June 2024 signing dates. Additionally, Kelce confirmed he was home on the evening of June 11, 2024, when Branco and Parenti claimed a separate signing occurred.

Customers who purchased items through Capone and Parenti, including nonprofits and collectors, raised concerns about inconsistent certifications. One buyer, Joseph Bartolo, paid $4,700 for Kelce-signed items that were later found to be fake, court documents say.

Charges and Hearing Dates

Capone, Branco, and Parenti face charges including Forgery, Theft by Deception, and Deceptive Business Practices. Capone was arraigned on Jan. 22 and released on $100,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5 before Judge James P. Gallagher. Branco and Parenti are expected to surrender to authorities.

“Forging memorabilia undermines trust in this industry and defrauds consumers,” Steele said.

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