Fans of Pawn Stars remember Drew Max as one of the reality show’s autograph authentication experts. However, some fans may not know that Max has had his fair share of troubles before passing away in 2020.
Max’s Fraudulent Authentication Accusations
Max was one of the many experts the Pawn Stars crew called on to authenticate signatures and objects from famous figures. However, in 2015, it was revealed that Max had actually “identified” fake sports memorabilia as legitimate.
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The falsely authenticated memorabilia was seized by authorities and then auctioned off, which led to Max getting sued for his part in the fraudulent deal. This was not the first time he had been accused of faking an authentication, and many were unsurprised when he was dropped from the cast of Pawn Stars.
Fan Opinions: ‘He Was Fired By ‘Pawn Stars’ [Because] Of … Problems With His Work’
On a message board on Autograph Live, a website where people show off their rare signatures and discuss different autographs, Max’s misdeeds were a big topic of conversation.
“I just found out that drew screwed up on A Babe Ruth autographed baseball and authenticated a ball JSA [James Spence Authentication, another signature authentication company] said is a complete fake,” someone posted. “When I complained, Drew would not call me back and the President of AAU [Authentic Autographs Unlimited] told me Drew does not talk to the public. How arrogant is that?”
The post continued, “I know AAU and Drew do not have a good reputation [because] someone said he was fired by Pawn Stars [because] of too many problems with his work. I also know he has numerous complaints about his authentication skills.”
Someone else chimed in, writing, “Drew Max and company have been exposed on here for a long time. There are tons of [Mickey] Mantle/ [Joe] DiMaggio/[Babe] Ruth/[Ted] Williams forgeries ‘certified’ by this rubber stamper.”
Max’s Untimely Death
His problems didn’t end there. Drew Max ended up in custody in Las Vegas on misdemeanor DUI charges. Sadly, he passed away in April of 2020 while in the Clark County Detention Center. According to the coroner, Max’s cause of death was ultimately natural causes—arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic alcoholism.
While Pawn Stars fans might have enjoyed Max’s appearances on the reality show, it’s clear that those who actually used his services were less than pleased with his authentication skills. However, his death still remains a tragic event.