WASHINGTON — Federal authorities said Thursday they have snagged $20 million worth of counterfeit sports merchandise in the past year as part of “Operation Team Player.”
Officials made the announcement in Houston in advance of Super Bowl 51, which will be played there Sunday by the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons.
Super Bowl merchandise has long been a target of counterfeiters seeking to capitalize on the high-volume revenues associated with football’s biggest game.
A total of 260,000 fake sports-related items were seized over the course of the past year, resulting in 56 arrests and 50 convictions, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
The operation was developed by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, part of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.
“Criminal elements use major sporting events like the Super Bowl as an opportunity to sell substandard and counterfeit goods to the American public,” said Thomas Homan, acting ICE director. “ICE special agents are committed to collaborating with industry and law enforcement agencies to crack down on counterfeiting that significantly impacts local economies and funnels money into organizations involved in additional illicit activities.”
HSI agents joined forces with customs officials and local law enforcement to raid flea markets retail outlets and street vendors selling bogus goods during the week leading up to the Super Bowl, as part of the yearlong operation. Officials seized fake jerseys, hats, cell phone accessories and thousands of other fake items in the past week.
“The NFL is proud to continue its work with ICE, the IPR Center, and law enforcement departments throughout the country to protect fans and consumers who are seeking an authentic NFL experience during the celebration of Super Bowl LI,” said Dolores DiBella, the NFL’s vice president of legal affairs. “Their collaborative enforcement efforts advance consumer protection goals for every industry, year-round.”
Officials said the operation saw “significant” arrests and convictions, which began at the conclusion of last year’s Super Bowl.
The IPR Center led coordinated efforts with major sporting leagues during the year to target “contraband that impacts the economy, enables additional criminality and poses health and safety hazards to the public.”
The IPR Center coordinates with its 23 member agencies, while also collaborating with industry and anticounterfeiting associations to develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to intellectual property theft.
“Super Bowl fans should beware of the scammers descending on Houston and flooding the internet with fake fan gear,” said David Hirschmann, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center. “Instead of supporting their favorite teams and players, unsuspecting enthusiasts who purchase counterfeit goods could be forfeiting their personal financial information to criminal networks and undermining American jobs. For consumers, the best defense against counterfeit sellers is a good offense: only purchase known brands from known sellers that bear the official holographic marks of authenticity.”