LANSING, Michigan — On October 18, a North Shore resident was sentenced to prison for selling counterfeit baseball cards. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Halla Y. Jabow sentenced Brian Kennert, 57, to 30 months in prison for selling his $43,354.94 antique baseball cards. Disguised as an original, unopened card pack.
A Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) investigation found the pack had been opened, valuable cards removed, and resealed like a new, unopened pack. Kennert has been involved in schemes to sell fake sports his cards and packs for at least his 30 years. Federal agents also found a fake sports card in his home worth $7.3 million if genuine.
“We commend the efforts of the HSI Grand Rapids Special Agents to pursue this case and bring this fraudster to justice,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent Angie Salazar. “We will continue to dismantle these schemes wherever we find them to protect hardworking Americans. We recommend that you examine the
Between April and October 2019, a couple purchased $43,354.94 baseball card packs from Kennert, only to learn later that they had been tampered with. The couple met Kennert after visiting an antiques store in Muskegon. There I saw a pack of baseball cards sold as original unopened. The couple researched the pack and found the price to be a bargain, and from April 2019 to October she met with Kennert eight times to purchase the pack. When the couple went to authenticate and check the condition of the packs, they were told that the packs had been resealed and were of little value.
After learning of the fraud, federal agents executed a search warrant at Kennert’s home. There they found $7.3 million worth of fake cards and supplies to make fake card packs. Agents interviewed Kennert, who admitted to making about $100,000 a year selling fake cards and packs.
“Kennert exploited defenseless victims for 30 years,” said federal attorney Mark Totten. “Consumers should have confidence that the products they buy are genuine. My office continues to work hard to eradicate consumer fraud.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Davin M. Reust.
HSI is the primary investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure in which international trade, travel, and finance move. I’m here. Her HSI workforce of more than 10,400 consists of her more than 6,800 special agents assigned to 225 cities across the United States and 93 international locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence is DHS’s largest foreign investigative law enforcement presence and one of the largest international footprints in US law enforcement.
Learn more about HSI’s mission @HSI Detroit.
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