Five people in New York were recently charged with trafficking counterfeit Jordans that would be worth $73 million if they had been authentic. According to court documents, the shoes looked like Jordans from style, and colorway, however, the shoes lacked the "Jumpman" logo since that is a registered trademark.
The counterfeit kicks arrived in the Port of Newark from China to be sent to two locations, one in Brooklyn, the other in Queens where the logos would be added then distributed for sale. According to the NYPD, the counterfeit ring imported 42 containers full of shoes that would be sold around New York City and beyond for $190/per.
Police charged, Miyuki Suen, Jian Min Huang, Songhua Qu, Kin Lui Chen and Fangrang Qu with counterfeit trafficking conspiracy and trafficking in counterfeit goods.
ICE HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez stated:
"These five individuals are alleged to have been a part of a large-scale counterfeiting scheme, importing nearly a half million pairs of knock-off Nike sneakers. These counterfeiting networks can be both detrimental to our economy and threaten our national security, and HSI will continue to take every measure in investigating and dismantling these organizations."
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman added, "The five defendants in this case allegedly counterfeited over $70 million in fake Nike shoes and sold them to buyers on the U.S. market. I commend our law enforcement partners for helping to bring today's charges, which send a clear message to would-be counterfeiters: 'Just don't do it.'"
