Extra: In Trading Card Fraud Trial Cooperator Cites Pokémon Defendant Wanting Revenge on PSA - more here on (paid/unpaid) representation
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by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 14 – Two men were charged with trading card fraud in 2024. On January 14, 2026 before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Ronnie Abrams, one of them testified against the other. Inner City Press was there, and live tweeted, here:
Card nerd” Sean McMillan says he loved cards of Jose Canseco & Topps’ Larry Bird, adds they go up in value faster than stock indexes. AUSA: How much did you pay for this card? Card nerd: $11,000.
[Onto screen: Email with co-defendant Joe Bondarchuk, remanding repayment for “counterfeit,” with PSA letter shown to jury with limiting instruction]
Cross
Defense: Did the card have an Ebay guarantee seal? Card Nerd McMillan: Yes. Defense: Where did you put the card? Card Nerd: In my safe. [This is in Judge Furman’s old courtroom, where US v Nate Chastain / OpenSea trial was held. Cards were NFTs before NFTs]
Gov’t calls Iosif “Joe” Bondarchuk- was indicted then flipped. AUSA: Do you have a cooperation agreement? A: Yes
AUSA: How did you meet him? A: Basketball coaching. Then he wanted me to sell cards for him, to use my name. He showed me screenshots, said he’d sold his gym for trading cards.
Witness: I think Anthony [Curcio] wanted revenge on PSA. He was working on a short movie. He also thought we should make money off youth basketball
Witness: A card buyer from NY called and threatened me, mentioned my ex-wife. Then a guy called from Dallas, said he’d fly and find me. Anthony told me he resolved it with them.
Case adjourned until Thursday afternoon.
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