CLEVELAND, Ohio – A federal judge sentenced a Pennsylvania man to nearly three years in prison on Monday for selling counterfeit baseball cards of Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and others on an Internet auction site.

U.S. Circuit Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Steven Norris, 39, of Milton, Pa., to 32 months in prison after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to three counts of mail fraud. The judge also ordered Norris to pay restitution of $49,660.

In August, Boyko sentenced Norris' brother and co-defendant, Scott, 40, of Brecksville, to four years probation for his role in the online card scam. The judge also ordered him to pay restitution of $28,160.

According to an indictment, baseball card collectors paid more than $60,000 for rare Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle cards, but the Norris brothers failed to deliver and pocketed the money.

U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach said the Norris brothers operated the fraudulent scheme from 2006 through 2012, offering collectible baseball cards on eBay, including Mickey Mantle's 1952 rookie card, and several 1933 Babe Ruth cards. But the Norrises did not own or possess the rare and valuable cards, Dettelbach said.



"These defendants used the legends of America's pastime to fraudulently get tens of thousands of dollars," Dettelbach said. "This prison sentence should send a message to would-be fraudsters, whether they use baseball cards or elaborate investment schemes to rip off the public."

From 2006 through 2012, the Norris brothers advertised the baseball cards for sale utilizing numerous email addresses. In some cases, the brothers sent counterfeit or reprinted cards to successful bidders. In other cases, they would contact the runners-ups in the auctions, convince them that the winners were unable to pay, then negotiate a price for the cards.