Bel Air Man Admits to Sports Memorabilia Fraud Scheme

The Bel Air man charged in a $2.5 million wire fraud scheme related to selling fake sports memorabilia has entered a guilty plea, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Joshua Aaron Shores, 41, who divides his time between Bel Air and Ocean City, admitted to wire fraud in connection with a group of online sports memorabilia businesses he owned from 2008 to 2013, the U.S. Attorney said.

Shores purchased jerseys in bulk from China, forged autographs of well-known sports figures on them, created false certificates of authenticity and collected $2.5 million in sales using Amazon and Paypal accounts, the U.S. Attorney said.

Wire fraud can result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release and a $250,000 fine, the U.S. Attorney reported.

United States District Court Judge John E. Jones III has not set a date for sentencing but did order a presentencing investigation.

According to federal guidelines, a judge must look at multiple factors in handing down a sentence, such as the history of the defendant, the need to protect the public, the severity of the offense, the circumstances around the crime, the need to punish the defendant and the ability to meet his medical, vocational and educational needs.

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