A former bank robber who stole $400,000 in an elaborate armored car heist back in 2008 has been charged with a Pokemon card scam.
Back in 2008, athlete-turned-robber Anthony Curcio pepper-sprayed an armored car guard and escaped with nearly half a million dollars, and got away by heading down a creek in an inner tube.
Curcio spent five years in jail where he wrote and illustrated over 20 children’s books. Despite appearing “reformed” and spending time speaking at schools about how drugs can result in a criminal lifestyle, Curcio appears to have returned to his old tricks… sort of.
According toFox 13, the 43-year-old Curcio and his alleged accomplice, 37-year-old Iosif Bondarchu have been charged after scamming sports andPokemon cardcollectors out of $2M.
Curcio and Bondarchu are accused of selling cards for greatly inflated prices by misrepresenting the rating of the cards and their true value. The two allegedly sold the cards on Manhattan Marketplace and local shops.
It’sreportedthat Curcio had ordered materials to forge cases and labels that misrepresent the actual worth of a card.
This caught the attention of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) who worked with the FBI in tracking down the two, who had been using the fake names of “Brendan Wooley” and “Joe Bondarchuk.”
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“As alleged, Anthony Curcio and Iosif Bondarchuk carried out a brazen, nationwide fraud scheme involving valuable sports and Pokemon trading cards to deceive buyers and marketplaces, ultimately amassing over $2 million in fraudulent and attempted sales,” US Attorney Damian Williams said.
Both Curcio and Bondarchu are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud and could face 20 years in jail if convicted.
Michael Gwilliam is Dexerto’s Deputy Entertainment Editor in the US. He expertly covers trending stories across Twitch, Kick, YouTube, TikTok, as well as Overwatch, GTA, and Smash Bros. You can contact him at: michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com
