A man has pleaded guilty after posing as a football player to obtain Super Bowl 51 rings fraudulently.
Scott Spina Jr. of New Jersey launched his elaborate scheme following the 2017 Super Bowl, where the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34 to 28. When NFL players received their championship rings, Spina decided he wanted to get his hands on one of the famous jewelry pieces. He started by contacting a member of the New England Patriots and giving him a fraudulent check to cover the cost of the ring, though he knew he didn’t have the funds in the bank.
After getting the ring in his possession, he sold it for $63,000 to a popular sports memorabilia broker in Orange County, California. He was then given login information by the ring company to access his purchase account and obtain more family rings. He took his plan a step further by calling the company and posing as the Patriot’s player who initially helped him purchase the first ring. According to court documents, Spina told the company rep that he wanted to get Tom Brady’s son and other relatives a ring.
Spina obtained more rings with Brady’s name on them, which increased their value when he sold them. In February 2018, one of the rings sold for $337,219 during an auction.
The feds got involved in the scheme, and Spina took a plea deal on Monday. As part of his agreement, Spina admitted that he ordered the rings directly from the company for Brady though he does not know Brady nor his family. He also admitted that he defrauded the memorabilia broker by orchestrating three separate wire transfers. Spina faces 92 years behind bars, though officials confirmed he could receive a “substantially less” sentence.
Scott Spina Jr. will make his first court appearance on January 31st in Los Angeles.
