Mets Equipment Manager Arrested For Millions In Stolen Baseball Memorabilia

The New York Mets longtime clubhouse manager was charged with illegal possession of over $2 million worth of stolen memorabilia on Wednesday.

Charles Samuels, 53, who had worked in the Mets clubhouse since 1976, had allegedly collected millions of dollars worth of signed jerseys, bats and baseballs, along with embezzling nearly $25,000 from the club through inflated expense claims.

He also allegedly failed to pay taxes on more than $200,000 worth of gratuities given to him by Mets players.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown struck a somewhat wistful note in his statement on the arrest.

“Seemingly gone are the days of a small child standing outside of a stadium after a game holding a pen and a baseball, eagerly hoping to get his favorite player’s signature,” Brown lamented. “The autographed sports memorabilia and collectibles industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry and this case exposes its darker side –the enthusiast who does not collect for personal enjoyment but rather stockpiles hundreds of pieces of sports memorabilia as a long-term investment.”

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly chimed in with a zinger, saying that Samuels “led the National League in steals.”

Samuels was arraigned Wednesday on 21 counts including criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny, falsifying business records and more. He could face between eight and 25 years in prison, in addition to a fine.

He was released on $75,000 bail and is due back in court next month.