For $200,000, the earliest known glove worn by Babe Ruth—from his days at St. Mary's orphanage—seemed like a bargain.
But, not when the history behind the glove was all a lie.
According to Benjamin Weiser of The New York Times, Irving Scheib, the man who tried to sell pass the tattered glove off as Ruth's, could now face prison time after admitting it was all a ruse.
The maximum sentence is 20 years in jail.
Scheib, of Bonsall, Calif., appeared Thursday in Federal District Court in Manhattan and pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge for what prosecutors claim was his scheme to sell the glove for $200,000 as a genuine Ruth artifact, according to The Times.
Scheib had actually bought the glove for $750 on eBay.
Earlier this month an anonymous buyer from Long Island showed interest in the glove, and exchanged money with Scheib, but asked for notarized letters proving authentication. At the request of the FBI that buyer rescinded his offer and a new prospective buyer from Manhattan showed interest.
The second buyer turned out to be an undercover investigator. Scheib was busted.
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