- Approximately 219,000 counterfeit items were recovered following a joint investigation by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD
- Adama Sow, 38, and Abdulai Jalloh, 48, were arrested in connection, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
- The pair allegedly carried out the plan from a storage facility in Manhattan from January through October
Authorities have seized more than $1 billion worth of counterfeit goods from warehouses in New York City, making it one of the largest counterfeiting crimes in American history.
Approximately 219,000 counterfeit items, including handbags, shoes, clothing and other accessories, were recovered following a joint investigation by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department.
According to officials, the items were worth well over a billion dollars.
Adama Sow, 38, and Abdulai Jalloh, 48, were arrested Wednesday in connection with the operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said.
The pair allegedly carried out the plan from a storage facility in Manhattan from January through October.
Photos show the units were filled to the brim with thousands of counterfeit products from various luxury brands.
Authorities have seized more than $1 billion worth of counterfeit goods from warehouses in New York City, making it one of the largest counterfeit crimes in U.S. history
Approximately 219,000 counterfeit items were recovered following a joint investigation by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD
The counterfeit goods worth $1.03 billion were recently seized from storage units at Gotham Mini Storage.
Images released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office show Jalloh-controlled units heavily stocked with clothing, shoes and handbags.
Agents seized 50,000 items with a street value of more than $237 million.
The units controlled by Sow had dozens of unopened boxes lining the floor containing 83,000 items worth more than $502 million.
In another room, clothes hung from pipes descending from the ceiling and were surrounded by a sea of fake handbags.
“As alleged, the defendants used a Manhattan storage facility as a distribution center for massive quantities of counterfeit designer merchandise,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
“The seizures announced today consist of goods with an estimated retail value of more than one billion dollars, the largest ever seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history.”
Prosecutors have also accused Manhattan-based Jalloh of selling counterfeit goods from another location outside the city.
Adama Sow, 38, and Abdulai Jalloh, 48, were arrested Wednesday in connection with the operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said.
An NYPD truck was carrying hundreds of illegal merchandise sold on Canal Street in August
He and Sow, of Queens, have been charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods and face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said, “The trade in counterfeit goods is far from a victimless crime, as it harms legitimate businesses, governments and consumers.
“Today’s charges demonstrate how seriously the NYPD and our federal partners take this offense.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said, “Today’s groundbreaking announcement underscores HSI New York’s continued commitment to the fight against intellectual property theft and serves as a testament to the dedication of our team and partner agencies, who work tirelessly pursued justice, culminating in the largest seizure of this kind ever.”