A New Jersey man impersonating a former New England Patriots player admitted to selling three New England Patriots Super Bowl rings to “family and friends,” according to court documents released Monday.
Scott V. Spina, Jr, 24, of Roseland, New Jersey, was charged with one count of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release. Spina purchased the rings with the name “Brady” engraved on them and offered to sell them under the false claim that Brady gave the rings to his nephews.
Spina pled guilty to all offenses in a plea agreement filed by the United States District Court.
The New England Patriots Super Bowl rings were real, but the story of them belonging to Tom Brady’s relatives were not. Fraudster admits posing as another Patriot to buy rings, one of which sold for $337,000 at auction. @FBILosAngeles https://t.co/ZWx9aQR5ka
— US Attorney L.A. (@USAO_LosAngeles) December 21, 2021
One of the rings Spina acquired sold for over $300,000, according to NBC News.
“By pretending to be a New England Patriots player, the defendant was able to get Super Bowl rings from the company that issued them. But in offering the rings for sale, he was also selling their connection to Tom Brady — a story that simply did not hold up on close scrutiny,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik M. Silber said. (RELATED: Meek Mill, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Team Up To Give Away Half Of A Million Dollars Worth Of Toys To Kids)
Spina started the scheme in 2017 when he purchased a Super Bowl ring from a former Patriots player, whom he wrote at least one bad check to before re-selling the rings for $63,000 to a sports memorabilia broker in Orange County, Florida, according to the New York Post. Spina learned former players can purchase rings for friends and family that are smaller than the player’s rings.
“Spina then called the Ring Company, fraudulently identified himself as [the former player], and started ordering three family and friend Super Bowl LI rings with the name ‘Brady’ engraved on each one, which he falsely represented were gifts for the baby of quarterback Tom Brady,” prosecutors said. “The rings were at no time authorized by Tom Brady. Defendant Spina intended to obtain the three rings by fraud and to sell them at a substantial profit.”
The memorabilia collector also agreed to buy the three rings for $81,500, until he questioned whether Brady had any nieces or nephews, NY Post says. Spina sold the rings at an auction house for $100,000 on the same day the buyer backed out. In Feb. 2018, one of the rings went for $337,219. (RELATED: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Names Model Katrina Scott Rookie Of The Year)
Spina agreed to make his first federal court appearance for the case in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, court documents say. Once he enters the plea, he will face a maximum of 92 years in federal prison.
Spina agreed to pay restitution to the former Patriots player who sold the rings, according to the documents.