A man admitted in court Tuesday to defrauding a former New England Patriots player to get his 2017 Super Bowl ring, then posing as the player, using his identity to buy and sell more championship rings that he claimed were gifts for Tom Brady’s family.
Appearing virtually from New Jersey, Scott Spina Jr., 24, pleaded guilty in federal court in California to one count of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Spina faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 24 months and must pay restitution to his victims.
Among Spina’s victims was a well-known collector of championship rings in Orange County. Identified only as “S.W.” in court documents, the man had flown to New Jersey in September 2017 to buy and pick up the 2017 Super Bowl ring.
Made of white gold molded into the shape of a football, the ring from Super Bowl LI was emblazoned with 283 diamonds. Engraved on the inner surface of the ring were the words “GREATEST COMEBACK EVER,” a nod to the Patriots’ historic 25-point comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
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