DALLAS (CN) - The son of former Dallas Cowboys star Harvey Martin sued a Dallas auction house to stop it from selling his father's 1977 Super Bowl championship ring.
Devincent Martin sued Heritage Auctions on Feb. 19 in Dallas County Court.
Harvey Martin played for the Cowboys from 1973 to 1983, winning NFL All-Decade Team honors. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and co-Super Bowl XII MVP in 1977. He died in December 2001 and is survived by Devincent and another son, Chase Martin.
Devincent claims his mother gave him his father's NFL Defensive Player of the Year ring and other memorabilia before her death, but told him the Super Bowl ring "was stolen."
He says Heritage Auctions has listed the ring for auction this month, identifying Harvey Martin's name and jersey number on the ring.
"Defendant's listing does not disclose the purported owner of the ring," the complaint states. "Defendant has refused to disclose the identity of the purported owner that contracted with the defendant for the auction of the ring."
Heritage Auctions did respond to the plaintiff's phone call to stop the auction and told him "ownership went through a Florida memorabilia dealer," but did not identify the dealer, the complaint states.
"In addition, no information has been provided as to the original family source of the ring," the complaint states. "The item remains up for auction."
Heritage Auctions did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Martin seeks declaratory judgment that he is the rightful owner of the ring and a temporary injunction. He is represented by T. Christopher Lewis in Arlington.
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