2nd man pleads guilty in Favre memorabilia scheme
By Mike Hoeft
Paul Vidani III of De Pere, the third of three people charged last year in connection with the sale of fraudulent Green Bay Packers memorabilia, pleaded guilty today to identity theft and faces up to six years in prison.
As part of a negotiated plea, prosecutors from the state Department of Justice will recommend Vidani serve 90 days in jail and pay a $1,000 fine. The recommendation also includes three years of probation during which Vidani, 60, will complete 100 hours of community service.
In return for the guilty plea, prosecutors will dismiss seven other counts. Vidani originally faced eight counts carrying up to 36 years in prison.
Brown County Circuit Judge William Atkinson, however, is not bound by the agreement when he sentences Vidani on March 27.
The plea agreement filed Friday described how Vidani, the owner of Green Bay Blue in Ashwaubenon, worked with Michael Van Lanen, the owner of All Sports Marketing, on making copies of Brett Favre autographs.
Investigators allege Vidani’s printing business produced the high-quality autograph copies that were sold as authentic by Van Lanen.
Vidani showed Van Lanen how to tell the difference between authentic and copied autographs and how to use different colors of ink on autographs, it said.
State Justice Department agents raided All Sports Marketing, 2039 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon, in January 2006 after undercover agents purchased several poster-sized prints that were deemed photocopies of Favre’s autograph.
After Van Lanen was interviewed by investigators, he met with Vidani, who instructed a Green Bay Blue employee to delete computer files related to the copied signatures.
In late January, Van Lanen brought a proposed catalog to Vidani’s home and burned it in his grill. Van Lanen also brought invoices that were shredded at Vidani’s home.
“I made a stupid mistake,” the plea agreement quotes Vidani as saying. “I’m not innocent, either. I wanna come clean.”
Vidani faced three counts of trafficking counterfeit marks, three counts of unauthorized use of a mark, theft by fraud and identity theft.
Van Lanen, 50, of Allouez, was convicted in September and sentenced in November to four years' probation, six months in jail and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution, fines, costs and a donation to the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation for his role in the scam.
Van Lanen's wife, Cynthia, paid a $10 fine and court costs for a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer during the investigation.
Paul Vidani III of De Pere, the third of three people charged last year in connection with the sale of fraudulent Green Bay Packers memorabilia, pleaded guilty today to identity theft and faces up to six years in prison.
As part of a negotiated plea, prosecutors from the state Department of Justice will recommend Vidani serve 90 days in jail and pay a $1,000 fine. The recommendation also includes three years of probation during which Vidani, 60, will complete 100 hours of community service.
In return for the guilty plea, prosecutors will dismiss seven other counts. Vidani originally faced eight counts carrying up to 36 years in prison.
Brown County Circuit Judge William Atkinson, however, is not bound by the agreement when he sentences Vidani on March 27.
The plea agreement filed Friday described how Vidani, the owner of Green Bay Blue in Ashwaubenon, worked with Michael Van Lanen, the owner of All Sports Marketing, on making copies of Brett Favre autographs.
Investigators allege Vidani’s printing business produced the high-quality autograph copies that were sold as authentic by Van Lanen.
Vidani showed Van Lanen how to tell the difference between authentic and copied autographs and how to use different colors of ink on autographs, it said.
State Justice Department agents raided All Sports Marketing, 2039 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon, in January 2006 after undercover agents purchased several poster-sized prints that were deemed photocopies of Favre’s autograph.
After Van Lanen was interviewed by investigators, he met with Vidani, who instructed a Green Bay Blue employee to delete computer files related to the copied signatures.
In late January, Van Lanen brought a proposed catalog to Vidani’s home and burned it in his grill. Van Lanen also brought invoices that were shredded at Vidani’s home.
“I made a stupid mistake,” the plea agreement quotes Vidani as saying. “I’m not innocent, either. I wanna come clean.”
Vidani faced three counts of trafficking counterfeit marks, three counts of unauthorized use of a mark, theft by fraud and identity theft.
Van Lanen, 50, of Allouez, was convicted in September and sentenced in November to four years' probation, six months in jail and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution, fines, costs and a donation to the Brett Favre Fourward Foundation for his role in the scam.
Van Lanen's wife, Cynthia, paid a $10 fine and court costs for a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer during the investigation.
posted by Authentic1 at 9:54 AM
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