Local man convicted of mail fraud

CHICAGO - A local-area sports memorabilia dealer was found guilty

Tuesday of defrauding collectors by selling thousands of dollars of goods

bearing the forged autographs of athletes.

Robert M. Austin, 42, of Newport Beach was convicted of eight counts

of mail fraud by a federal jury that deliberated for just over a day

following a four-day trial.

U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo set Dec. 10 for sentencing. Each

count carries a maximum sentence of five years.

Anthony Alyinovich, one of 11 people who had pleaded guilty earlier in

the federal government’s Operation Foul Ball crackdown on sports

memorabilia forging and was one of Austin’s suppliers of merchandise,

testified against Austin.

Austin, owner of Overtime Prowear Inc., based in Huntington Beach,

insisted that he had done nothing wrong and that he had not realized the

items Alyinovich sold him were forgeries.

The most commonly forged name was former Chicago Bulls star Michael

Jordan. Other signatures forged included Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman,

Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith.