A 58-year-old former Southern California resident, Anthony J. Tremayne, who now lives in Mexico, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud after admitting he sold fake celebrity memorabilia—including forged autographs of Kobe Bryant and the Kardashian family.
Between 2010 and 2019, Tremayne defrauded customers out of an estimated $250,000 to $550,000 by falsely marketing the items as authentic, often including bogus certificates of authenticity to support the forgeries.
Tremayne’s forgery scheme began to unravel in 2020 when he sold Kardashian-signed photos—with three forged signatures—to an undercover FBI agent, as reported by Daily Mail.
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Now facing up to 20 years in prison, Tremayne will be sentenced on August 11. His scam included fake memorabilia tied to high-profile names like Bryant, whose collectibles have surged in value since his death in a 2020 helicopter crash.
Bryant’s old locker from the Staples Center fetched $2.9 million at auction last August, Sotheby’s revealed.
Used by the NBA legend from the 2003-04 season to the 2015-16 season, the locker had been in storage for years and was nearly discarded during 2018 renovations—until a quick-thinking maintenance worker salvaged it.
“Kobe Bryant’s locker at the Staples Center is more than just a piece of memorabilia; it’s a sacred relic of his unparalleled journey,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables, said in a press release.
“This locker was Kobe’s sanctuary amidst triumphs and challenges, a witness to the highs and lows of a storied career. Every achievement and hardship left its mark within these walls. Its appearance now at auction symbolizes a rare opportunity to own a unique piece of Kobe’s legacy.”
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Bryant considered a Lakers and NBA legend, earned five championships, 15 All-NBA selections, and one MVP award during his illustrious career.
His time at Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) included unforgettable moments like his 81-point game in 2006 and his 60-point farewell performance in his final game.
