Man charged with orchestration of fake MJ card scheme which netted $800K

In the booming sports memorabilia industry, schemers and scam artists lurk in large numbers, looking to dupe unsuspecting fans and collectors with bogus items. 

According to the Associated Press, one such scheme has an 82-year-old Colorado man facing charges. 

According to the AP's report, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office has announced conspiracy charges to commit wire fraud against Mayo Gilbert McNeil, in relation to the allegations that he sold fake Michael Jordan trading  cards. 

"Mr. McNeil defrauded sports memorabilia collectors of more than $800,000 by intentionally misrepresenting the authenticity of the trading cards he was peddling when, in fact, they were counterfeit," Michael Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office said via the AP.

McNeil allegedly made "numerous fraudulent deals, including selling a counterfeit Jordan card for $4,500 and the trade of two phony cards of the Chicago Bulls legend in exchange for two genuine Tom Brady cards."

Jordan hasn't played an NBA game in two decades. Still, nearly anything and everything tied to "His Airness" continues to draw the attention of collectors. 

Last September, Jordan's "Last Dance" 1998 NBA Finals jersey sold for a record $10.091 million at Sotheby's auction house, topping the shirt that Diego Maradona wore during the legendary "Hand of God" game in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, which sold for $9.28 million.