Charges dropped against 2 people in alleged scheme to sell fake Jason Kelce memorabilia
Lee-Ann Branco and Joseph Parenti were cleared, but charges remain against two other people in the case.
Criminal charges in Montgomery County have been withdrawn against two New England residents who had been accused of aiding an alleged scheme to sell $200,000 worth of fake Jason Kelce memorabilia.
The prosecution is ongoing against a South Philadelphia man at the center of the case, and a second man has been charged in connection with the alleged scheme, court records show.
Earlier this month, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office withdrew its charges against Lee-Ann Branco, 44, and Joseph Parenti, 39. The spelling of Branco’s first name also appears as LeeAnn in documents.
“A review of cell phone evidence along with additional interviews and information received by detectives revealed” that neither Branco nor Parenti was a coconspirator in the scheme, Assistant District Attorney Gwendolyn Marie Kull wrote in motions filed June 2.
Martin P. Mullaney, Branco’s lawyer, said in a phone interview that Branco and Parenti were “just used as pawns” in the alleged scheme.
“We appreciate the district attorney’s office doing the right thing and dropping the charges,” Mullaney said. “Justice was served.”
Michael Kevin Parlow, Parenti’s lawyer, said in an interview that his client “had absolutely no criminal intent whatsoever.”
Parenti’s reputation and business “definitely took a hit” because of the accusations, but “he’s very grateful” that the charges have been withdrawn, Parlow said.
In January, Robert Capone, 51, was charged along with Branco and Parenti with a slew of forgery counts and related offenses in an alleged conspiracy to sell more than 1,100 memorabilia items with forged Kelce signatures, according to the criminal complaint.
Capone was in charge of Overtime Productions, a “Philadelphia athlete-based marketing firm” that offered to bring sports stars to paid events to meet fans and sign autographs.
In June 2024, Kelce held a private event arranged by another sports memorabilia company, TCH Humphreys LLC, at the Valley Forge Casino, where he did sign memorabilia, according to prosecutors.
Detectives had accused Capone and Parenti, owner of Diamond Legends, which describes itself as “Rhode Island’s premier location for authentic memorabilia and hand-signed collectibles,” of intercepting the event and acting as if they were part of it.
Branco, who worked for Beckett Authentication Services, was accused of passing off the Kelce forgeries as real by acting as if she had seen Kelce sign the items.
Upper Merion Township police and Montgomery County detectives were alerted to 1,100 fraudulent memorabilia items by Kelce’s manager and TCH Humphreys.
In an emailed statement, the district attorney’s office said Wednesday: “We always continue investigating after arrest, and in this case, new evidence showed that Joseph Parenti and [Lee-Ann] Branco were not part of and had no knowledge of Robert Capone’s fraud scheme regarding the forged Jason Kelce memorabilia.”
While the charges have been dropped against Branco and Parenti, charges of forgery and other offenses have been filed against Alfred P. Sicoli, a Bucks County artist, in connection with the case against Capone.
Details about Sicoli’s alleged role were not immediately available.
Sicoli could not immediately be reached for comment.
Capone’s attorney, Brian J. McMonagle, could not be reached for comment.