3 charged with forging Jason Kelce memorabilia valued at $200K, officials say
Three people have been charged with forging Jason Kelce memorabilia, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
Officials say 51-year-old Robert Capone, 43-year-old LeeAnn Branco and 43-year-old Joseph Parenti were each charged with forgery, theft, deceptive business practices and other offenses for forging Kelce-signed memorabilia valued at $200,000.
The fake memorabilia included signed jerseys, helmets, mini-helmets, hats, photos, footballs and other items. In total, the DA's office said they had 1,138 fake items.
The memorabilia was forged for sale by companies owned by Capone, Parenti and a company where Branco worked. According to the DA's office, Overtime Productions, a Philadelphia sports athlete-based marketing firm owned by Capone, Diamond Legends, a sports memorabilia store in Rhode Island, and Beckett Authentication Services, the company where Branco works, all played a role in the alleged scam.
Last June, the DA's office said that Montgomery County detectives and Upper Merion Township Police were told about the memorabilia allegedly signed by the former Philadelphia Eagles center by TLC Humphreys LLC, a sports memorabilia company in Royersford, Montgomery County.
From June 11-12, 2024, TLC Humphreys LLC contracted Kelce to sign memorabilia at the Valley Forge Casino Hotel.
According to the DA's office, Capone, Parenti and Branco used Beckett Authentication Services to create counterfeit autographed sports memorabilia signed by Kelce. They then offered it for sale as authentic-contracted for products signed by the former Eagles star.
Branco and Parenti attended the signing event at Valley Forge Casino, which was contracted by TLC Humphreys LLC last June. Officials said Branco took a photo with Kelce "to validate her in-the-present authentication of the forged memorabilia that was never actually signed by Kelce."
The DA's office said Capone got some authentic memorabilia at the event and kept it for later forgeries and to sell. Without getting Kelce's consent for the inauthentic memorabilia, Kelce, TLC Humphreys LLC and others lost roughly $200,000.
Capone was arraigned Wednesday and released on bail, the DA's office said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Feb. 5.
Branco and Parenti are expected to turn themselves into police at Montgomery County and will be arraigned on charges at that time.
Kelce retired last year and spent 13 seasons in Philadelphia. He helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LII, the first in franchise history, over the New England Patriots in the 2017 season. He's earned six First Team All-Pro honors and seven trips to the Pro Bowl.
