Bay Area Dealer In Fake Willie Mays Sports Memorabilia Scam Sentenced Today In Federal Court

CONCORD, CA — A Concord sports memorabilia dealer who sold counterfeit sports collectibles, including a $100,000 baseball bat he falsely claimed Willie Mays used in the 1954 World Series, was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison, federal prosecutors said.

Daniel Damato, 40, of Concord, pleaded guilty in December to one count of wire fraud in a scheme that ran from 2022 to 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.

Prosecutors said Damato doctored items, invented false histories, and sold memorabilia at inflated prices to unsuspecting buyers.

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín also sentenced Damato to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $1,068,940 in restitution.

Damato had already been remanded into custody and will begin serving the sentence immediately.

Federal prosecutors said Damato sold one victim a bat for $100,000 after claiming Mays used it during the 1954 World Series. Damato later admitted the bat was not used by Mays and was instead a “factory error” bat that measured one inch shorter than the bats Mays used during his career.

Prosecutors said Damato also sold a jersey for $50,000 after falsely claiming Mays wore it in a game. Charging documents described the item as a 1972 jersey, but prosecutors said Damato falsely tied it to Mays to increase its value.

The court also found that Damato defrauded a third victim of more than $900,000 by falsely promising to deliver sports memorabilia, prosecutors said.

Damato’s fraud case widened after the FBI searched his home. In his plea agreement, Damato admitted that he contacted at least one potential witness after the search in an attempt to obstruct the government’s investigation.