(KRON) – A Concord man pled guilty in federal court Monday to wire fraud for selling fraudulent sports memorabilia, according to the Department of Justice.
Daniel Damato was charged on Oct. 20 with one count of wire fraud. The DOJ said in a release that between 2022 and 2024, he doctored the origins of items to make them appear as authentic sports collectibles and then attempted to sell the items at inflated prices.
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Damato admitted that in 2023, he sold a baseball bat that he falsely claimed was used by then-San Francisco Giants star Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series for $100,000, according to the DOJ. After the victim buyer sent Damato a payment for the fraudulent game-used bat, he did not send the item.
The DOJ said Damato also sold other fraudulent items, including a jersey he falsely claimed was worn in a game by Mays that he sold for $50,000.
After the FBI executed a search warrant on Damato’s residence in Oct. 2024, the DOJ alleged that he contacted at least one potential witness to obstruct the investigation…