YOUNGSTOWN - A Girard man has been sentenced to time already served after pleading guilty earlier to one count of bank fraud after federal prosecutors accused him of bilking sports memorabilia auctioneers out of thousands of dollars through the sale of vintage baseball cards with forged autographs.

A federal judge also placed Cord Monroe on probation late last week according to U.S. District Court records. In addition, Monroe must pay $73,358 in restitution.

Investigators say Monroe signed phony autographs on baseball cards that were originally packaged in tobacco products from 1909 to 1911.

The T206 cards, also known as “tobacco cards” are widely collected.

Among the cards allegedly bought by Monroe, AKA David Scott, then sold on auction sites with forged autographs, was one showing right-handed pitcher Edward Victor “Knuckles” Cicotte and infielder William Joseph “Jap” Barbeau, who played for teams in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

 

 

 

 According to investigators, two auction sites lost more than $73,000 in transactions with Monroe involving fourteen forged cards.