Beckett Collectibles has filed a lawsuit against an independent contractor, the owner and operator of a Rhode Island sports memorabilia store and the business itself, alleging they conspired to forge and fraudulently authenticate more than 1,130 items represented as autographed by retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
According to the filing, the scheme took place in June 2024 when Lee-Ann Branco, who was under contract by Beckett to provide authentication services as a “witness,” collaborated with her employer, Joe Parenti and Diamond Legends, to “masquerade forged Jason Kelce sports memorabilia as authentic, sell those items at Diamond, and then profit.”
The signing event was represented to have been held at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pa., where Kelce had done a public signing the previous day.
Branco claimed Kelce signed more than 1,000 autographs on items including jerseys, footballs and helmets June 11, according to the suit. Beckett said there is no evidence Kelce was ever in attendance, and Parenti’s version of events, which says the event took place the following day, at another location and without Kelce’s presence, directly contradicts this story.
“Branco and Parenti have conflicting stories on what happened. But one thing remains certain — Kelce never signed the items. Instead, defendants flooded the market with forged autographed items, which they then sold,” the suit alleges. “[U]nfortunately, many were duped, including Beckett.”
The final step of the authentication process for witnessed autographs involves the authenticator submitting the certificates of authenticity to Beckett so the items can be registered, which Beckett did, paying Branco for her services of authenticating 1,138 items.
It was only when the organizer of the public signing involving Kelce noticed the items, believed them to be forged and contacted police, that Beckett learned of the alleged scheme.
After speaking to authorities and conducting an internal investigation, Beckett was able to determine “upon information and belief, Kelce subsequently insisted he never signed the items.”
Beckett then asked Branco to sign an affidavit swearing Kelce was present at the signing, which she refused to do, according to the lawsuit. She instead presented a photo of her with Kelce in an attempt to corroborate her story.
Beckett believes the photograph was taken during another occasion in which she met Kelce through a mutual friend.
Branco's LinkedIn profile displays her experience as a graphic designer with more than 20 years of experience, currently employed by Diamond Legends as director of e-commerce and senior graphic designer, as well as brand manager for Diamond Authentic, a card grading and authentication company which launched in 2021.
Among the causes of action listed, Beckett's suit said the defendants engaged in fraud, and Branco breached her fiduciary duty as delineated in her contract.
Beckett, which is a leading authenticator of autographed memorabilia, attended more than 125 events, including private signings, and authenticated more than 2 million items in 2024. The company said the alleged fraud harmed its reputation in the industry and seeks to prevent Branco from representing herself as credentialed by Beckett.
The suit alleges she has failed to return her credentials despite Beckett’s demands, which the company says represents “imminent harm” as “Beckett currently has no way to stop her from using [the credentials].”
The suit also seeks to prevent Parenti and Diamond from selling, distributing, dealing or disposing of memorabilia related to the alleged scheme in addition to selling or disposing of any items featuring Beckett's authentication logo.
The Diamond Legends online store, which says it is Rhode Island's "premier location for authentic memorabilia and hand-signed collectibles," continues to list Beckett-authenticated items on its online store. No items relating to Jason Kelce appear to be active. However, signed items including a jersey attributed to brother Travis Kelce, remain active and available for purchase described as carrying a Beckett certification.
An eBay account sharing the company's name and branding displays similar products for sale, with 100% feedback and nearly 6,000 items sold, but does not appear to have sold any items relating to Jason Kelce.
Signed Jason Kelce memorabilia authenticated by Beckett can range from around $185 for a mini helmet to around $1,000 for a framed jersey display, per eBay sales in recent months.
A representative from Beckett told cllct that in the wake of this incident the company is reviewing its criteria and process in selecting independent contractors, noting the company has used contractors many times in the past without issue.
Beckett said it will be paying back affected customers 100% of their costs for the items, in addition to shipping — costs the company estimated would be around $250,000.
“We are going to do anything and everything that we can to make our customers whole,” Beckett CEO Kevin Isaacson said.
In order to receive the refund, customers will need to submit proof of purchase and receipts to Beckett.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.