APD Detectives Seize More than $650,000 in Counterfeit Merchandise, Suspect Arrested
Detectives with the Arlington Police Department’s Economic Crimes Unit (ECU), in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), recently made one of the largest seizures of counterfeit merchandise in department history.
Earlier this summer, APD was notified that an online business operating out of Arlington may be illegally manufacturing and selling items displaying the copyrighted trademark logos for multiple high-end fashion brands.
Detectives began investigating the business, Creo Piece, which primarily sells embroidered patches and heat transfer merchandise – and found it was actively advertising items with the logos in question. Undercover officers made several purchases from the company. Counterfeiting experts then confirmed the purchased items were unlicensed and fraudulent.
This month, ECU obtained and executed a search warrant at the company’s warehouse, which is located in the 500 block of Prairie Street. APD officers and HSI Agents seized 75 large boxes of merchandise, an embroidery machine, and a heat transfer printing machine.
The team, pictured above, spent several days doing a full inventory of the merchandise. They seized a total of 101,118 individual items worth an estimated $653,222 based on the prices listed on the Creo Piece website (these totals do not include the machines).
ECU detectives then obtained an arrest warrant for the owner of Creo Piece, 35-year-old Oumar Dia, on one count of Trademark Counterfeiting > $300,000. Mr. Dia was taken into custody in Dallas County over the weekend and was booked into the Dallas County Jail. He has since bonded out.
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