Dallas-based Heritage Auctions prides itself on being one of the biggest and most reputable sources for sellers of collectibles, including vintage movie and sports memorabilia. Now Heritage is embroiled in a major scandal- and the consequences can be quite severe. The company is charged under the RICO racketeering laws of using false or "shill" bidders to artificially inflate the selling price of collectibles at auction. The charges have been filed against the company's top executives. This is not the first scandal to hit Heritage, but it is by far the most serious. The investigation came about through the suspicions of dealers who had consigned goods for auction. Heritage is charged with using a false name for a shill bidder in order to prop up prices and make it appear the company can get top dollar for articles consigned.
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