Brett Lemieux, a suspected sports memorabilia counterfeiter, came under investigation by Fanatics, which altered its authenticity hologram stickers two years ago due to his alleged activities. The company planned to gather evidence through “test purchases” of signed items linked to Lemieux for a case against him and cooperate with the police and FBI. Unfortunately, Lemieux, 45, was found dead during a police operation in Westfield, Indiana.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Lemieux claimed he had sold millions of counterfeit products and created fake authentication holograms through a business named Mister Mancave. His eBay account was linked to thousands of autographed items featuring well-known athletes, which were removed by eBay following the investigation.
Fanatics, led by president Zohar Ravid, has been monitoring Lemieux for several years, stating that protecting the market is their priority. They were involved in building evidence against Lemieux by purchasing items and helping law enforcement in an ongoing crackdown on counterfeit sales. Lemieux had a history of legal issues, including a 2013 lawsuit requiring him to compensate customers for undelivered memorabilia.
Ravid challenged the exaggerated figures Lemieux presented in his post, emphasizing that the scale of the counterfeiting operation is not as extensive as claimed. Fanatics continues to cooperate with authorities in the fight against counterfeit memorabilia.
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