Latest news with #MisterManCave
USA Today
18-07-2025
- USA Today
Man found dead amid investigation for selling counterfeit sports memorabilia
An Indiana man being investigated for selling counterfeit sports memorabilia was found dead by suicide at his home Wednesday, July 16 when police conducted search warrants at the same residence. Brett Lemieux, a 45-year-old resident of Westfield, Indiana, was the founder of sports memorabilia site MisterManCave, which claimed to have sold millions of counterfeit items with net profits exceeding $350 million, and had "the largest framed jersey inventory on the web." Lemieux made the claims in a now-deleted Facebook post on the "Autographs 101" group Wednesday, saying the money was "too good" to pass up and that he wanted to stop the fraud, which had been going on for the better part of two decades. The coroner's office in Hamilton County, Indiana confirmed that Lemieux's body was found at 300 block of Hoover Street in Westfield, about 20 miles north of Indianapolis and that he died by suicide. His death took place hours after the Facebook post and where law enforcement conducted search warrants Tuesday. The FBI is assisting with the investigation, said Chris Bavender of public affairs with the FBI field office in Indianapolis. "We are referring media to Westfield Police Department as they are the lead agency," Bavender said. The Westfield Police Department did not immediately respond to a request by voicemail and email for additional information. Kayla Arnold, Director of Communications for the city of Westfield, said, "As the investigation is still ongoing, we do not have additional details to release at this time." Lemieux's scheme involved the faking of holograms of several high-profile companies in the sports memorabilia space, including Fanatics, James Spence Authentic, Panini and Tri-Star. Lemieux allegedly sold the fake items below market price, therefore earning a profit. Lemieux said when Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died in January 2020, MisterManCave released 80,000 fake items "into the marketplace." He did not say how much he made off of the scheme. Steve Grad, a memorabilia autograph expert, told WRTV, the ABC affiliate in Indianapolis, that Lemieux's schemes were common knowledge amongst those in the industry. "People have known about this guy," Grad said. "They've known his work. They know what he's been up to. "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." In 2013, the Indiana Attorney General's filed a lawsuit against a Carmel sports memorabilia company owned by Lemieux after customers complained that they never received items they paid for, according to Fox59 in Indianapolis and other media outlets. He was forced to pay restitution and reached a settlement of $8,550 with the attorney general's office, according to the Sports Collectors Daily and other media outlets. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at
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.'
