Boston Red Sox memorabilia, $25K worth, stolen from Fenway Park, say prosecutors
(CBS/AP) GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - A Massachusetts man stole home - and lots of other baseball souvenirs - according to prosecutors who say he made up a story about having a sick son in an attempt to sell $25,000 worth of Boston Red Sox memorabilia.
Prosecutors say James Pritchard Holland, of Nahant, Mass., claimed he needed to sell the items to help pay his sick son's medical bills, but that he never had an ailing child, and the items were stolen from Fenway Park.
Holland was charged in New York with possession of stolen property for attempting to sell Red Sox equipment bags, warm-up jackets and jerseys and other gear on a Long Island auction website, said Suffolk County, N.Y., District Attorney Thomas Spota.
Joshua Evans, chairman of the auction website, Lelands.com, said Holland contacted him in the fall about wanting to sell the equipment to defray the costs of caring for his son. He said he paid a $2,000 advance for the items and scheduled a December auction to sell the items.
Days before the online auction was to begin, however, police raided the Lelands.com warehouse on Long Island after being contacted by investigators from Major League Baseball, who saw the items listed for sale on the website, and noticed they matched items that had previously been stolen from the ballpark in Boston. The auction was canceled and officials seized the stolen memorabilia.
Prosecutors did not file charges until last week because authorities in both New York and Massachusetts are still investigating the theft of the items, said Robert Clifford, a spokesman for the Suffolk County D.A. Holland, who has children but none who are believed to be ailing, has been cooperating, authorities said.
A Major League Baseball spokesman confirmed that its investigators worked with law enforcement regarding the sale of stolen Red Sox memorabilia, but did not elaborate.
The memorabilia included a home plate from the Fenway Park bullpen, an outfield distance marker (380 feet) that was signed by Red Sox great Johnny Pesky, a first base glove used by Kevin Youkilis, cleats worn by second baseman Dustin Pedroia and other team property.
Evans said Holland "seemed like a very genuine guy and had this very sad story about his son dying." He said he was perplexed why Holland allegedly concocted the story, since all the information about the proposed sale and where the items originated was posted on the company website. Evans estimated the items could have fetched as much as $25,000 at auction.
Holland was released last week without bail and ordered to return to court on June 7.