A New Jersey man admitted to pretending to be a former New England Patriots player to purchase 2016 Super Bowl rings engraved with Tom Brady’s name, according to federal prosecutors.
Scott Spina, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and a single count of aggravated identity theft on Monday.
“Unfortunately, in his effort to profit on Tom Brady’s name, the defendant defrauded a number of people, including those at the ring company, the buyer of the rings, and those in the collectible market more broadly,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik M. Silber said.
Spina concocted the scheme in 2017 after reaching out to a former player on Instagram and offering to buy a Super Bowl 51 ring. He flew to Georgia to meet with the player, identified only as “T.J,.” and paid for the ring with a bad check.
He then turned around and sold the ring for $63,000. During that time, Spina learned the web address for the company that sells Super Bowl rings. He realized that he could buy family versions of the rings by posing as the former player.
Spina ordered three rings with the name “Brady” engraved on them. He alleged they were gifts for “baby of quarterback Tom Brady.” He tried to sell the rings to the same California broker who bought the first ring from him, claiming they were intended for Brady’s nephews, for $81,500.
But the broker began to question whether or not Brady had nephews. He also became suspicious of the New Jersey geotags on the photos of the keepsakes, and the deal fell through. Instead, Spina sold the rings to an auction house for $100,000. One of the rings sold for $337,219 at a February 2018 auction.
Spina faces up to 92 years in prison; however, his sentence will most likely be “substantially less.” He will also be required to pay restitution to the former football player he impersonated.
He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles next month.
