A photograph of Detroit Tigers outfielder and future Hall of Famer Ty Cobb stealing third with a hard slide past the New York Highlanders’ Jimmy Austin, an iconic asset from the Charles Conlon Collection.
Did you know Mark Theotikos was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison several weeks ago for his part in a shill bidding scheme at Mastro Auctions?
Theotikos, former vice president of auction operations and acquisitions at the Chicagoland auction house, was the last of four defendants to be sentenced in connection with the fraudulent sports memorabilia dealings at the auction house.
He was indicted on six counts of mail and wire fraud in July 2012.
You might recall that Theotikos helped found Legendary Auctions with another Mastro alumnus, Doug Allen, after Mastro Auctions closed in 2009 under the cloud of an FBI investigation.
This brings us to our Arkansas tangents.
A 22 percent stake in Legendary Auctions was owned by Angelica Rogers, former wife of alleged serial fraudster John Rogers.
Doug Allen helped Rogers finance the acquisition of the legendary Conlon Collection and score his brief ownership of a famed Honus Wagner card in 2008.
Allen was sentenced to 57 months in prison on Feb. 8 in part for obstructing a criminal investigation of Rogers, who remains under criminal investigation for counterfeit memorabilia and more.
Allen tipped off Rogers that FBI agents would be raiding his North Little Rock business and home. That visit from the feds went down on Jan. 28, 2014.
The Chicago office of the FBI is leading the investigation of Rogers.
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