Crime Story: Baseball Memorabilia Thief’s Journey to Federal Prison

Tommy Trotta never advanced beyond youth baseball leagues, but his fascination with the sport’s history led him down a criminal path that spanned two decades. The 49-year-old from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, became known as a serial thief who targeted baseball memorabilia and art collections across northeastern Pennsylvania, ultimately landing him in federal prison for eight years.

According to federal court records and news reports from March 2025, Trotta pleaded guilty to leading a theft ring that operated for 20 years, targeting institutions including the Everhart Museum, Lackawanna Historical Society, Country Club of Scranton, and Keystone College in LaPlume Township. His crimes culminated in a sentence of 96 months’ imprisonment handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion on March 13, 2025.

The judge emphasized the severity of Trotta’s actions after hearing victim testimony, describing them as “pretty terrible.” Beyond the eight-year prison term, Mannion ordered three years of supervised release and restitution totaling $2,759,073 to be paid to the 20 museums and venues affected by the theft ring’s activities.

Trotta’s criminal journey began long before his federal conviction. As reported by Sports Illustrated in July 2024, his first major heist occurred in 1999 when he stole a game-worn jersey from Christy Mathewson’s collection at Keystone Junior College (now Keystone College) in La Plume, Pennsylvania. The jersey, nearing 100 years old at the time, had been worn by the Hall of Fame pitcher during the 1906 baseball season when he achieved 22 of his 373 career wins.

Described as a devoted baseball fan whose passion curdled into compulsion, Trotta was 24 years old when he took the Mathewson jersey from its plexiglass display during a Christy Mathewson Day celebration. The event featured a local actor delivering a monologue inside the library, with Trotta among the audience members distracted by the pristine artifact.

Over the following two decades, Trotta’s theft ring expanded to include various sports memorabilia and art pieces. His accomplices included family members, with his wife Dawn Trotta receiving a 15-month sentence for her role in conspiracy, concealment, disposal, and interstate transportation of stolen property.

The federal investigation revealed that Trotta’s operation was remarkably low-tech despite its longevity. He typically worked alone during actual break-ins, though he planned thefts with others in the ring. His targets were chosen based on perceived vulnerabilities in security rather than the specific value of items, aligning with his own admission that he sought memorabilia “particularly when they were poorly secured.”

Judge Mannion expressed doubt that Trotta would ever be able to repay the full restitution amount but implemented measures to ensure gradual repayment. Half of Trotta’s prison earnings (minus a phone call allowance) will be directed toward restitution, along with $300 monthly from any income he earns after release.

The case represents one of the most prolonged and systematic theft rings targeting sports history in recent memory, exploiting the often-limited security budgets of smaller museums and historical societies dedicated to preserving athletic legacies.

As of April 2026, Trotta remains incarcerated while serving his sentence, with the restitution payments continuing to be collected from his prison wages and future earnings as mandated by the court.

For ongoing updates on this case and other sports-related legal developments, readers are encouraged to follow official court announcements and verified news sources.