SAN DIEGO (North County Times News Service) - A father and son from Las Vegas who sold sports memorabilia bearing forged signatures, which customers were told were genuine, were sentenced in San Diego on Wednesday to home confinement and prison.

David "Doc" Scheinman, 64, and Phillip A. Scheinman, 38, each pleaded guilty last Aug. 12 to one count of wire fraud.

U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz sentenced David Scheinman to six months home confinement and sentenced his son to six months in prison to be followed by four months in a halfway house.

The defendants were charged in San Diego because a government informant initiated phone conversations from San Diego County and had items shipped here, said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Owens.

Authorities said the Scheinmans operated a store in Las Vegas called "Smokey's Sportscards."

They sold sports memorabilia from the store and their Web site to customers throughout the United States, including on eBay, prosecutors said.

The forged signatures included those of Hall of Fame baseball players Walter Johnson and George Sisler, members of the Chicago Bulls basketball championship team -- including Michael Jordan -- baseball slugger Mark McGwire and baseball manager Casey Stengel.

The defendants were also ordered to make joint restitution of $19,118, Owens said.

The judge told the elder Scheinman that he could work on getting his "good name back" after serving his time in home confinement and performing 120 hours of community service.

"The rest of your life is up to you," Moskowitz told David Scheinman.

The prosecutor unsuccessfully urged the judge to give Phillip Scheinman 18 months in prison because the case against him had been pending since authorities raided "Smokey's Sportscards" in 1999.

But Moskowitz said Phillip Scheinman has had the anxiety of the case and its possible consequences hanging over his head for the past six years.

The judge said Scheinman will probably lose his real estate license that he got after he was charged and "Smokey's" closed down.

Moskowitz said the defendant committed a crime that diluted the memorabilia market.

"There's no reliability in these signatures," the judge said.

The defendant's actions "destroyed any honesty in the market, Moskowitz said.

Before he was sentenced, Scheinman took full responsibility for his crimes and apologized to the victims, his family and the government.

The defendant told the judge he intended to do "good deeds" from now on.

"This is by far the most difficult day of my life and I'm sorry," Phillip Scheinman said.

Moskowitz also told the defendant to perform 200 hours of community service.

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