Feds charge 2, seize $1B worth of knockoffs in ‘largest-ever’ counterfeit bust

Nov 17, 2023

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Alex Peebles (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Editor)

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The underground market for counterfeit brand names is so widespread, it’s hard for law enforcement to keep up. However, on Nov. 15, federal prosecutors in New York announced a major bust — one they say is the “largest-ever” seizure of counterfeit designer goods in U.S. history.

The seizures announced today consist of merchandise with over a billion dollars in estimated retail value, the largest-ever seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams

Police reportedly seized 219,000 fake name-brand bags, clothing, shoes and other fake luxury items in a Manhattan storage facility. Prosecutors estimated the retail value to be $1.03 billion.

Two people have been arrested and charged with the counterfeiting operation: Adama Sow, 38, and Abdulai Jalloh, 48, who police said ran the large-scale operation since at least January of this year, using the storage facility and an off-site location in Manhattan.

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The two have both been charged with trafficking counterfeit goods, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“As alleged, the defendants used a Manhattan storage facility as a distribution center for massive amounts of knock-off designer goods,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “The seizures announced today consist of merchandise with over a billion dollars in estimated retail value, the largest-ever seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history.”

The announcement comes just two months after an NYPD crackdown on counterfeit goods flooding the streets of New York. Officers arrested 18 people and seized truck-loads of bogus brand names worth an estimated retail price of $35 million.

Police and prosecutors stress that these are not victimless crimes, pointing mainly to uncertainties about how these goods are actually manufactured and how they affect local business owners.

“The trafficking of counterfeit goods is anything but a victimless crime because it harms legitimate businesses, governments and consumers,” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said. “Today’s indictments show how seriously the NYPD and our federal partners take this offense. And we will continue to work hard to hold accountable anyone who seeks to benefit by selling such items on the black market.”

With the rapid rise in online shopping, consumers are more at risk of being duped into buying bogus items. According to a study by Michigan State University, seven in 10 people have been tricked into buying counterfeit products in the last year.

Tags: consumer scams, New York City, NYPD, Police, Police raid, Retail Sales

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

YOU SEE IT ON THE STREETS OF BIG CITIES.

MERCHANTS SELLING KNOCKOFF PURSES, CLOTHES, WATCHES, AND OTHER LUXURY PRODUCTS.

THE UNDERGROUND MARKET FOR COUNTERFEIT BRAND NAMES IS SO WIDESPREAD IT’S HARD FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO KEEP UP.

BUT THIS WEEK THE FEDS IN NEW YORK MADE A MAJOR BUST — ONE THEY SAY IS THE LARGEST SEIZURE OF COUNTERFEIT DESIGNER GOODS IN U-S HISTORY.

US ATTORNEYS SAY THESE PICTURES SHOW EXACTLY WHAT INVESTIGATORS FOUND IN A MANHATTAN STORAGE FACILITY…

POLICE REPORTEDLY SEIZED NEARLY 220,000 FAKE NAME BRAND BAGS, CLOTHING, SHOES, AND OTHER KNOCK-OFF LUXURY ITEMS.

IN ALL PROSECUTORS ESTIMATE THE RETAIL VALUE AT MORE THAN ONE-BILLION DOLLARS.

TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION.

POLICE SAY THE PAIR HAD BEEN RUNNING THE LARGE-SCALE OPERATION SINCE AT LEAST JANUARY OF THIS YEAR – USING THE STORAGE FACILITY AND AN OFF-SITE LOCATION IN MANHATTAN.

THEY HAVE BOTH BEEN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING COUNTERFEIT GOODS – PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES JUST TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING AN NYPD CRACK DOWN ON COUNTERFEIT GOODS FLOODING THE STREETS OF NEW YORK – OFFICERS ARRESTED 18 PEOPLE AND SEIZED TRUCK LOADS OF BOGUS BRAND NAMES WORTH AN ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE OF 35-MILLION DOLLARS..

[NYPD]

“We have received a tremendous amount of complaints about counterfeit goods from the community and from the business owners. So you can see, there is a tremendous amount of, like I said, and we’re here seizing that and taking it off the streets.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

POLICE AND PROSECUTORS STRESS THAT THESE ARE NOT VICTIMLESS CRIMES – POINTING MAINLY TO UNCERTAINTIES OF HOW THESE GOODS ARE ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED AND HOW IT AFFECTS LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS.

AND WITH THE RAPID RISE IN ONLINE SHOPPING – CONSUMERS ARE MORE AT RISK OF BEING DUPED INTO BUYING BOGUS ITEMS – A STUDY BY MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT SEVEN IN 10 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRICKED INTO BUYING COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS IN THE LAST YEAR.