After being incarcerated for six years for his involvement in one of America's most infamous car heists, it seemed that Anthony Curcio had successfully turned his life around. He began speaking at middle schools, high schools, and universities regarding the importance of drug abuse prevention and how making positive choices can lead to a more fulfilled life. So wholesome, right?
Unfortunately, it seems like Curcio is up to his old tricks. According to a report from Fox 13 Seattle (thanks, Nintendo Wire), he and an accomplice, Iosif Bondarchuk, were recently arrested over their potential involvement in scamming up to $2 million from buyers of rare Pokémon and sports cards.
While the cards themselves are considered real, Curcio and Bondarchuk are accused of faking the PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) gradings, artificially inflating the resale value. The pair were allegedly scamming people for around two years, but it was when they sold a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card for a total of $171,700 at a Manhattan auction that their scheme began to unravel. Supposedly graded PSA 10, the PSA company itself rang alarm bells by confirming that it had no involvement in grading the card.
Bondarchuk had also sold a 1999 first-edition Venusaur card to an undercover law enforcement purchaser for the price of $10,500 in 2023.
Needless to say, their actions could potentially lead to decades behind bars. It seems that despite relaying the importance of making positive choices to youngsters, Curcio was unable to practice what he preached.