Mastro sentenced

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by mattsey9

A question for board's legal community...

He has been properly tried and sentenced to prison. Why wasn't he (or any other convict in the same situation) immediately taken to the hoosegow? Doesn't allowing a millionaire felon three months to plan an escape present a significant flight risk?

No, for a non-violent convicted defendant it would have been shocking for him to be taken away to immediately start serving a 20 month sentence. Plus Mastro needs to remain close by until Allen is sentenced as his cooperation may still be needed.

[Rickyy]

This might have been the best "deal" that he ever made. Despite the judge announcing that the fraud was committed on a "massive scale" to which the defendant admitted to...a lighter sentence was given for his cooperation in ongoing investigation against others...

Ricky Y

[Peter_Spaeth]

The government's press release.

http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/...l-bidding-scam

[Rickyy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The government's press release.

http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/...l-bidding-scam

So now that its official...PSA can change the Wagner grade to "Altered" right?

Ricky Y

[Peter_Spaeth]

I think David Hall is probably still in denial.

[Sophiedog]

I have a question: In 2007 the Wagner sold for 2.8 million as a PSA 8. Since it was admitted now that the card was trimmed if the seller were to put the card in an auction and it only got 2 million would the seller lose out on the other .8 million? Just seems the buyer bought the card thinking it was an untrimmed original card and shouldn't take a hit on the price since there's a good chance the card would not again bring that price.

[Peter_Spaeth]

It has been common knowledge for many many many years that the card was trimmed. I doubt any of the last several owners bought it thinking it was original.

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The government's press release.

http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/...l-bidding-scam

From the release:

"Mastro admitted in a plea agreement that the shill-bidding scheme spanned from 2002 to 2009. The scam involved submitting phony bids to artificially drive up the price of online and live auctions."

The "shill-bidding" in my opinion went on far longer-Captain Obvious.

[mark evans]

Hopefully, the sentence is severe enough to deter similar conduct by other auction houses. It would certainly deter me, but not so sure about some of the jokers in the business. Time will tell.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by mark evans

Hopefully, the sentence is severe enough to deter similar conduct by other auction houses. It would certainly deter me, but not so sure about some of the jokers in the business. Time will tell.

For the millions that piece of garbage stole from the hobby I would sit in the joke of a jail he is going to for 17 months any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[calvindog]

15 months plus two months in a halfway house.