Authorities Seize Counterfeit Sports Jerseys
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Homeland Security officials are investigating after hundreds of packages of counterfeit sports jerseys were discovered.
Officials say 380 packages from China were discovered at the DHL office in Robinson Township.
"We went out during a three-day operation, looked at packages coming from China, opened them up, had an NFL representative with us," Scott Best, an official with Homeland Security, said. "He made a field determination that they were counterfeit. We detained these items."
Agents confiscated more than 5,000 replica jerseys with an estimated street value of $1.5 million. They range from Steelers, Penguins, other NFL teams and colleges.
A closer look explains why they're considered counterfeit.
"You're going to see stitching – stitching that is not quite perfect along the hemlines," Best said. "Also, loose threads."
Fans in western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia paid anywhere from $40 to $70 for each jersey over the internet.
"They will not be getting their money back," Best said. "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
