Given how easy it is to fake signatures these days, it’s super important to have a professional authenticate a signature before you can sell or buy an autographed item.
If you recall, quite a number of sellers walked into the Pawn Star shop with what they thought were authentic autographs worth hundreds of thousands, only to walk out disappointed.
Drew Max, a guest autograph authentication expert on Pawn Stars, seemed like the real deal. He could effortlessly tell a fake from a legit autograph, but his wit eventually became his fall from grace.
So what happened to this “smart” autograph authentication specialist? Here is the tragic story of Drew Max from Pawn Stars.
Who Is Drew Max On Pawn Stars?
Drew Max was a forensic document expert, handwriting specialist, and the founder of Authentic Autographs Unlimited.
He was one of the guest experts on Pawn Stars called to check the authenticity of autographs and autographed items. He authenticated more than 150 items on the reality TV show.
Like most experts on the show, Max formed a great relationship with the Pawn Stars crew and was called in regularly for his expertise.
Max Got Into Legal Trouble
Drew’s expertise in authenticating autographs and documents from popular people and items was seemingly unmatched.
However, it turned out that the authenticator was not all that authentic himself. His career came down tumbling in 2015 when news emerged that Drew had given the nod to fake memorabilia, helping present them as legitimate when the items were not.
This was obviously a major turning point for Max, and not in a good way. Authorities in Las Vegas seized the fake memorabilia and auctioned it off.
Drew Max did not escape unharmed, either. He was sued for misrepresentation, breach of contract, deceptive trade, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, and fraud. The plaintiff, Mr. Daniel Odobas, filed the lawsuit against Drew Max’s company, Authentic Autographs Unlimited, Toby Stoffa’s Antiquities of Nevada, and Guaranteed Forensic Authenticators, owned by Stephen Rochi.
Following the allegations, the Pawn Stars cast dropped Drew Max, and he stopped appearing on the show.
