Epic Bust: Feds Confiscate $1.3B in Counterfeits in Historic Raid

Law enforcement officials seized over $1 billion in counterfeit goods from a Manhattan storage unit, making this scam the largest ever in U.S. history. Adama Sow, 38, and Abdulai Jalloh, 48, were arrested in connection to the scam which involved storing hundreds of thousands of fake high-end goods at Gotham Mini Storage. Between January and October of this year, the men sold the counterfeit designer goods with a retail price of $1.3 billion. Federal agents, in partnership with the NYPD, seized 219,000 counterfeit items from the midtown Manhattan storage facilities. The storage units were filled to the brim with fake products, causing the men to hang clothing from the ceiling pipes. The origin of the goods was not disclosed. Police Commissioner Edward Caban stated that selling illegal goods is not a victimless crime and that anyone found selling such items on the black market will be held accountable. Sow and Jalloh were charged with trafficking counterfeit goods and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Last year, $10 million in counterfeit merchandise was seized in Chinatown, resulting in the arrest of 17 individuals.