Latest news with #Autographs101
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Sports memorabilia dealer Brett Lemieux found dead just hours after bombshell counterfeit confession
A famed sports memorabilia merchant was discovered dead as police carried out a search warrant into his allegedly fraudulent dealings. Brett Lemieux, 45, is believed to have died just hours after a Facebook account posting under his name claimed the prominent sports memorabilia site he founded had sold millions of counterfeit items. Lemieux, who resided in Westfield, Indiana, shockingly claimed that MisterManCave had sold more than four million fake items and surpassed $350 million in sales in a in a bombshell confession to a Facebook group page named 'Autographs 101'. Hours after the post was published under Lemieux's name, police confirmed that he had died by suicide by way of a 'self-inflicted gunshot wound,' according to the New York Post. More to follow.
New York Post
18-07-2025
- New York Post
Memorabilia dealer found dead after alleged $350 million counterfeit confession on Facebook
A prominent sports memorabilia businessman was found dead after police carried out a search warrant into his allegedly fraudulent operation on Tuesday. Brett Lemieux, 45 of Westfield, Ind., was the founder of prominent sports memorabilia site MisterManCave, which he claimed sold more than four million counterfeit items and surpassed $350 million in sales in a 1,200-word Facebook post on the 'Autographs 101' group Wednesday morning. Hours after Lemieux published the post, Westfield police confirmed that he committed suicide by way of a 'self-inflicted gunshot wound.' The Facebook post is no longer live, since Lemieux's account has been taken down. 3 Brett Lemieux's confession post in the 'Autographs 101' Facebook channel. MisterMancave Lemieux was able to pull off the alleged large-scale counterfeit scheme by faking holograms, authentication stickers for sports collectibles, of some of the most prominent companies in sports memorabilia: Panini, Fanatics, Tri-Star, James Spence Authentics, Mill Creek Sports and GT Marketing, among others. Lemieux would use the fake holograms to sell counterfeit memorabilia at a far lower price than market, and he profited handsomely off that tactic. In the Facebook post, Lemieux said he released 80,000 pieces of memorabilia into the market when Kobe Bryant died in 2020. He noted that he considered stopping with his operation, but that the money was 'too good.' 3 A framed image of Michael Jordan that was listed on the Mister Man Cave website. MisterMancave 'People have known about this guy. They've known his work. They know what he's been up to,' well-known sports memorabilia expert Steve Grad told WRTV Indianapolis 'He has been at it for years and years. And he's driven down the price of things. You know, you look at a Tom Brady autograph and Tom Brady's value is affected drastically by this individual.' Andy Albert, who owns the Indy Card Exchange in Indianapolis, told WRTV his phone was 'blowing up all night' at the news. 3 Various memorabilia listed on the Mister Man Cave website. MisterMancave 'He did professional framing services for us probably four or five years ago — never had direct interaction with the memorabilia piece of it. Thank God. Ninety-nine percent of the people in this industry do things the right way. And that one bad apple ruins the entire apple cart. It just infuriates me. Unfortunately, that's going to have shockwaves for years to come.'
