Four Dealers Sentenced in Rockford for Selling Fake 'Game-Used' Sports Jerseys

Case from 2013 (U.S. Attorney's Office release: Oct. 25, 2013). Published on Scammers.com Oct. 16, 2026; case status is current as of that date.

Four sports memorabilia dealers were sentenced in federal court in Rockford, Ill., in October 2013 in separate schemes. Each had sold altered jerseys as "game used" to collectors, resellers and sports trading card companies, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced [1].

How the scheme worked

Jerseys worn by professional and college athletes in games, known as "game used" or "game worn," sell for more than unworn jerseys. Card makers often buy them, cut them into small swatches and insert the pieces into card packs to raise the packs' value, usually requiring a certificate of authenticity from the seller [1].

According to their plea agreements, the defendants [1]:

• Altered jerseys to make them look game worn, including swapping one player's name and number for a more noteworthy player's, changing the jerseys' shape, and adding patches or other identifying marks.
• Sold them as game used by sale, consignment or auction, including to buyers they knew would resell them or supply them to trading card companies.

The people sentenced

Each defendant pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard. Each also received three years of supervised release, and restitution was to be set within 60 days of sentencing [1].

• Bernard Gernay, 39, Howell, N.J. — involved with Pro Sports Investments Inc. Pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2011. Sentenced Oct. 25, 2013, to 6 months in federal prison.
• Jarrod Oldridge, 39, Las Vegas — involved with JO Sports Inc. Pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2011. Sentenced Oct. 25, 2013, to 6 months.
• Bradley Horne, 41, Sunset, S.C. — involved with Authentic Sports Memorabilia Inc. Pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2011. Sentenced Oct. 25, 2013, to 3 months.
• Bradley Wells, 32, St. Petersburg, Fla. — indicted Oct. 25, 2011, over a similar 2005-2009 scheme run under Authentic Sports Inc., Historic Auctions LLC and his own name. Pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2012. Sentenced Oct. 16, 2013, to 6 months.

The FBI investigated.

Red flags when buying game-used memorabilia

• Name or number patches that look restitched, or tags and cuts that don't match the team's issue for that season.
• Certificates of authenticity from the seller itself with no photo-matching or team provenance.
• Prices well below comparable authenticated pieces.

How to protect yourself

1. Buy items with team or league provenance or photo-matched authentication from an established third-party service.
2. Ask for the jersey's history: where it came from, and documentation from the team or equipment manager.
3. Report memorabilia fraud to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
Bernard Gernay	N.D. Ill. (Rockford, Judge Reinhard)	Pleaded guilty to mail fraud; sentenced Oct. 25, 2013, to 6 months and 3 years' supervised release	[1]
Jarrod Oldridge	N.D. Ill. (Rockford, Judge Reinhard)	Pleaded guilty to mail fraud; sentenced Oct. 25, 2013, to 6 months and 3 years' supervised release	[1]
Bradley Horne	N.D. Ill. (Rockford, Judge Reinhard)	Pleaded guilty to mail fraud; sentenced Oct. 25, 2013, to 3 months and 3 years' supervised release	[1]
Bradley Wells	N.D. Ill. (Rockford)	Pleaded guilty to mail fraud Sept. 6, 2012; sentenced Oct. 16, 2013, to 6 months and 3 years' supervised release	[1]

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, "Four Men Sentenced For Fraud Involving Sports Memorabilia," Oct. 25, 2013. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/four-men-sentenced-fraud-involving-sports-memorabilia

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