David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox reacts during the fourth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies on May 24, 2016 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
A man who tried to sell fake or low-quality jewelry to Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz was forced to pay a hefty sum by a Massachusetts judge on Monday.
According to The Boston Globe, Ortiz bought $127,000 worth of jewelry from Randy Hamida of Anaheim, Calif. only to find later that the jewels were of a much lower quality than what he was initially led to believe. But when Ortiz returned the jewelry to Hamida and asked for his money back, Hamida refused. So Ortiz filed a lawsuit against Hamida in 2014 and was vindicated by a court ruling Monday.
Judge Maynard M. Kirpalani ordered Hamida to pay $313,800 as well as interest and attorney fees to Ortiz after determining Hamida made "false representations" to the slugger "in order to induce Ortiz to pay amounts far in excess of their true value."
Ortiz, who is on a one-year, $16 million contract with the Red Sox, is known for wearing flashy jewelry both on and off the field, but even his love for jewelry and impressive bank account did not prevent him from getting duped. Ortiz's lawyer, Jonathan M. Davidoff, told the Globe that this kind of problem plagues more people than just Ortiz.
Via The Boston Globe:
"Hopefully the general public can avoid becoming victims of fraudsters who seek those opportunities to take advantage of others," Davidoff told the Globe. "Unfortunately, way too many times, professional athletes become the targets of fraudsters. Mr. Ortiz is happy that this chapter of the matter is now concluded."
Mark this case as a lesson learned: anyone who attempts to sell fake jewelry to David Ortiz will have to pay for their crime.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox