Federal authorities have busted a major counterfeit ring, seizing tens of thousands of counterfeit luxury products worth more than $1 billion and charging two people with trafficking in counterfeit goods.
Adama Sow, 38, and Abdulai Jalloh, aka Troy Banks, 48, were arrested on Wednesday after agents seized more than 200,000 counterfeit bags, clothes, shoes, and other items.
Damian Williams, US Attorney for the South District of New York, said it was “the largest-ever seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history.”
“As alleged, the defendants used a Manhattan storage facility as a distribution center for massive amounts of knock-off designer goods,” Williams said.
The indictment, unsealed on Wednesday, says that Sow and Jalloh ran their operation throughout 2023, with Jalloh also operating from a separate facility in Manhattan.
Sow and Jalloh face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if found guilty.
The US Department of Homeland Security and the New York Police Department assisted with the case.
“The trafficking of counterfeit goods is anything but a victimless crime because it harms legitimate businesses, governments, and consumers,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. Today’s indictments show how seriously the NYPD and our federal partners take this offense. And we will continue to work hard to hold accountable anyone who seeks to benefit by selling such items on the black market.”
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[Featured image: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York]
