Counterfeit soccer items seized outside Bank of America Stadium

Authorities seized 1,675 soccer items bearing counterfeit trademarks from sales venues outside Bank of America Stadium during two CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer matches July 15.

The matches pitted Cuba against Guatemala and Mexico against Trinidad and Tobago.

The primary violation found by law enforcement outside the stadium involved counterfeit soccer shirts bearing the Mexico team crest, which is trademarked and protected by Adidas, Burke County Sheriff Steve Whisenant said Thursday.

Whisenant’s office belongs to the N.C. Secretary of State Trademark Task Force that conducted the sweep of sales venues around the stadium.

The counterfeit items had a total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $137,030, Whisenant said.

No one caught selling the items was charged, but all of the items were handed over to investigators, the sheriff said.

Also participating in the crackdown were officers from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Kannapolis and Tarboro police departments and the Charlotte office of Homeland Security Investigations.

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 9:37 AM with the headline "Counterfeit soccer items seized outside Bank of America Stadium."