ORLANDO, Fla. — Just days ahead of the Buffalo Bills Conference Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the federal government announced a significant seizure of counterfeit 'sports championship rings'.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 284 of the fakes representing the NFL, NBA and MLB and WWE from a sports memorabilia store in Oviedo, Florida.
“While we are all looking for a good deal, buying fake goods can be dangerous to your health, safety and to the global economy,” said Vernon T. Foret, director of the Office of Field Operations for Miami and Tampa. “CBP is no stranger to intercepting fake merchandise. On average, we seize roughly $4.3 million in merchandise, each and every day, across our nation. Remember, if the price is too good to be true, research the seller and make sure you are making an informed decision on what you are buying.”
This latest investigation followed a seizure last November of 54 counterfeit NFL rings and 30 counterfeit NBA rings which were shipped from China to the same store.Officers say none of the rings appeared to be made of or contain precious metals or gemstones.
“Counterfeiting creates wide-reaching dangers to society,” said HSI Tampa acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Buying counterfeits – even though it may seem harmless to a consumer – hurts local and global economies, endangers people’s health and generates revenue for organized crime and even terrorism.”
