OAKLAND — An East Bay man who sold phony sports memorabilia, including a baseball bat he claimed New York and San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays used in the 1954 World Series, pleaded guilty to wire fraud Monday, federal prosecutors said.
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Prosecutors alleged that Damato, a sports memorabilia dealer, doctored and gave false provenance to valuable items to make them appear as authentic sports collectibles, and then tried to sell the items to unsuspecting buyers at inflated prices.
In pleading guilty, Damato admitted he sold the supposedly game-used baseball bat for $100,000, prosecutors said. It had not been used in the World Series and was, in fact, a “factory error” bat that was an inch shorter than what Mays used during his career.
Damato also did not send the bat to the buyer after receiving payment, prosecutors said.
Damato sold other phony collectibles, including a jersey he claimed was worn in a game by Mays, prosecutors said, adding that the jersey was sold for about $50,000.
Damato also admitted he tried to obstruct the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into the alleged offense. After the agency served a search warrant at his residence in October 2024, he contacted at least one potential witness, prosecutors said.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine at his March 23 sentencing.
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