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Roger Hooper now on Trial
stevem3827
Posts: 5
Here is a link to the story.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/09/area_dealer_traded_baseball_wi.html
There are several other threads noting his past dealings in the sportscard, autographs and coin markets.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/09/area_dealer_traded_baseball_wi.html
There are several other threads noting his past dealings in the sportscard, autographs and coin markets.
0
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I love the 1993 Topps Wax boxes in the photo as evidence.
Area dealer traded baseball with fake autographs for use of eBay account, friend testifies
September 28, 2010
DAN MILLER,
The Patriot-News
Memorabilia experts are to testify today in Cumberland County Court in the case of a Lower Allen Township auctioneer accused of selling thousands of dollars’ worth of fake sports items, photos and coins.
Roger Lee Hooper, 49, allegedly sold the items to people nationwide in 2005 through an eBay account that his friend Ned Kerstetter of Carlisle allowed him to use.
Hooper is on trial in Cumberland County Court before Judge Wesley Oler Jr. on charges of deceptive business practices, theft by deception and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Kerstetter testified Monday and Tuesday.
He said Hooper gave him a baseball allegedly autographed by members of the 500-home run club in return for using the account. The autographs turned out to be fake, Kerstetter said.
When buyers started to complain, Hooper at first agreed to refund money to people who asked for it but stopped doing so after paying out about $15,000, Kerstetter testified. Complaints about fake items kept coming in from angry buyers all over the country, Kerstetter said.
Kerstetter said he started refunding money to buyers on his own, spending $58,000 of his money, tapping savings and checking accounts and cashing in retirement accounts to do so.
Kerstetter said he tried to get his money back by suing Hooper, and a Carlisle law firm he hired referred the case to the county district attorney as a criminal matter in 2007.
Hooper was arrested and charged in May 2008 after county investigators got a second complaint alleging fraud against Hooper from David Herrell of Harrisonburg, Va.
On Tuesday, Hooper’s lawyer, George Matangos, asked Kerstetter how he knew the items the buyers were sending back for refunds were the same memorabilia they had received from Hooper.
Kerstetter answered that he didn’t know for certain that the items were the same but considered that unlikely since so many similar complaints were coming from different buyers.
Herrell told the county in 2008 he bought about $5,000 of fake autographed items and bogus sports cards packs from Hooper during an auction in Dillsburg in 2006.
Herrell testified Tuesday that he sent some of the items he bought from Hooper in 2006 to a sports memorabilia dealer in New York who was going to resell the items for him.
Instead, the dealer told Herrell the card packs had been opened and the best cards taken out before the packs were resealed and sold to Herrell.
Herrell testified he also learned the autographs on a photo of the Apollo 8 astronauts were fake.
30
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Collector of Pittsburgh Pirates cards for a slightly less stupid reason.
My Pirates Collection
<< <i>What a dirtbag...he deserves hard time but his lawyers will probly get him off. >>
I hope he gets some time so his cellmate can get him off.
----------------------
Working on:
Football
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (99.81%)
1976 Topps PSA 9+ (36.36%)
1977 Topps PSA 9+ (100%)
Baseball
1938 Goudey (56.25%)
1951 Topps Redbacks PSA 8 (100%)
1952 Bowman PSA 7+ (63.10%)
1953 Topps PSA 5+ (91.24%)
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (70.76%)
1985 Fleer PSA 10 (54.85%)
I just received a voicemail at 12:30 AM that the jury returned a Guilty verdict on at least one felony count, but the voicemail wasn't very clear, so I'm not sure if he was found guilty on all counts or not. Hooper's sentencing will be on November 30th.
Thanks for the interest.
David
<< <i>Just to follow up. Hooper was found guilty on 4 of his 5 charges including the felony 1 charge which carries mandatory jail time and a $100,000 fine. >>
Good to hear!
Mike
My Registry Sets
Why is sentencing not until November for a County Court?
Why wasn't the sentencing phase done right after the guilty/non guilty part of the trial?
Will he be sentenced by a judge or by a jury?
Just wondering.
Mike
<< <i>It will be interesting to see how sentencing goes, I suspect he won't see any real jail time and will be forced to pay restitution. >>
How long is "real" jail time? Anything over an hour would be too long for me. His felony 1 charge carries a mandatory minimum 9 month sentence, along with the other charges it could be longer.
The judge determines the length of sentence.
If there is a nine-month minimum sentence, that can still be a sentence in the county jail. Hooper could even get nine months on house arrest, and the judge could parole him after that to county probation supervision. I think the article was incorrect stating that the maximum sentence possible is 16 months. You need at least a two-year maximum sentence to go to a state prison. Anything less than that is a county jail sentence.
edit for spelling and clarity
Collector of Pittsburgh Pirates cards for a slightly less stupid reason.
My Pirates Collection
----------------------
Working on:
Football
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (99.81%)
1976 Topps PSA 9+ (36.36%)
1977 Topps PSA 9+ (100%)
Baseball
1938 Goudey (56.25%)
1951 Topps Redbacks PSA 8 (100%)
1952 Bowman PSA 7+ (63.10%)
1953 Topps PSA 5+ (91.24%)
1973 Topps PSA 8+ (70.76%)
1985 Fleer PSA 10 (54.85%)
<< <i>The gap from conviction to sentencing is pretty common in PA. It is very likely the judge or an attorney wants a pre-sentence investigation. That is so the judge can look for aggravating or mitigating circumstances to help with the sentence he gives.
If there is a nine-month minimum sentence, that can still be a sentence in the county jail. Hooper could even get nine months on house arrest, and the judge could parole him after that to county probation supervision. I think the article was incorrect stating that the maximum sentence possible is 16 months. You need at least a two-year maximum sentence to go to a state prison. Anything less than that is a county jail sentence.
edit for spelling and clarity >>
His maximum sentence is 4 years.
http://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/CPReport.aspx?matterID=201183801
Collector of Pittsburgh Pirates cards for a slightly less stupid reason.
My Pirates Collection
County Judge J. Wesley Oler Jr. allowed Roger Lee Hooper to remain free on $30,000 bail pending the outcome of an appeal....
Hooper still has his state auctioneer license....
Hooper has held three “successful” auctions since October...
The state auction board has been informed of Hooper’s conviction and it was awaiting the outcome of his sentence....
Oler’s sentence included a $129,200 fine and paying restitution totaling nearly $68,000 to two victims...
....................................
In PA, he will likely serve a reasonably good portion of the sentence
before he is released.
Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 4:46 PM Updated: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 6:24 PM
By DAN MILLER, The Patriot-News
A hearing is set for March 2 to consider a new trial for Roger Lee Hooper, the Lower Allen Township auctioneer sentenced to Cumberland County Prison after being convicted of selling fake sports memorabilia and coins on eBay.
Judge J. Wesley Oler Jr. ordered the hearing following a motion filed by Hooper's lawyer, George Matangos, challenging the credibility of two witnesses who testified as experts for the district attorney during Hooper's trial.
Matangos cited examples where James Spence, who had testified as an expert witness on autographs, had invalidated his own previously issued certificates of authenticity for autographs.
Matangos said that according to forensic document examiner Christopher L. Morales, Spence had certified as authentic an autograph on the cover of a 2008 re-release of "Kill 'Em All," a Metallica album, signed by Cliff Burton. Burton died 22 years before the album was re-released.
Matangos also cited a letter from Jordan Cooper of Harman's Rare Coin & Bullion in Harrisburg that Matangos said contradicted claims made during the trial by Paul M. Bouder, who testified for the district attorney.
A Cumberland County jury after a five-day trial convicted Hooper of two counts of deceptive business practices and one count each of theft by deception and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Oler on Jan. 4 sentenced Hooper to 10 to 23 months in county prison but allowed Hooper to remain free on $30,000 bail pending the outcome of his appeal.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>
Matangos said that according to forensic document examiner Christopher L. Morales, Spence had certified as authentic an autograph on the cover of a 2008 re-release of "Kill 'Em All," a Metallica album, signed by Cliff Burton. Burton died 22 years before the album was re-released.
>>
LOL. So much for buying legit autograph spence products. Pathetic.
Auction Link
<< <i>Were there any new updates to this story? I noticed this guy is now holding auctions with sports memorabilia in Hagerstown, which is right near me. I won't be attending.....
Auction Link >>
That Ripken 8x10 in his upcoming auction is a forgery (ugh)
IMF
<< <i>
That Ripken 8x10 in his upcoming auction is a forgery (ugh)
IMF >>
I think the only decent item is the Marino Jersey? Is that UDA or is that a fake sticker (never seen the beginning of a uda cert use the letters "BAA")