Border Patrol Seizes Over $1.3M Worth Of Surprisingly Real-Looking Counterfeit Championship Rings

Apparently there is a rather stout market for counterfeit championship rings for baseball, football, basketball, and hockey these days.

Because despite hundreds of fake sports championship rings being seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) every year, people keep trying to smuggle them into the United States.

The latest big fake championship rings bust took place in Cincinnati, Ohio.

According to the CBP, officers at the Port of Cincinnati recently seized a shipment containing 345 counterfeit championship rings.

“In mid-April, officers at the Port of Cincinnati were inspecting freight from the Asia origin when they discovered a large shipment of counterfeit championship rings,” Customs and Border Protection stated in a press release announcing the seizure.

“The shipment originated in Hong Kong and was destined to a small business in the city of Utica, NY.

“The rings included team logos from the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils to name a few. A total of 345 rings were seized representing 18 different sports teams.”

All 345 rings were determined to be counterfeit by Customs and Border Protection’s Centers for Excellence and Expertise.

They tabbed the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the 345 fake rings at around $1,380,000 had they been authentic.

“Our frontline officers at The Port of Cincinnati work tirelessly to protect consumers from illicit shipments,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director Field Operations-Chicago. “Profits from shipments like this one are often funneled into criminal organizations, and in return fund their illegal activities.”

“With the influx on prices of goods, it is not uncommon to see consumers cutting back or looking for a good deal, but I encourage you to be cautious of third-party sellers,” said Cincinnati Port Director Alrick Brooks.

This is the second time in the past two months that Cincinnati CBP officers have seized counterfeit championship rings.

In March, officers in Cincinnati also seized a shipment containing 90 fake championship rings including 40 2019 Kansas City Chief Super Bowl rings, 20 1969 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Rings, 15 1985 Kansas City Royals rings, and 15 2022 Kansas Jayhawks championship rings bearing the registered trademarks of the National Football League, National Collegiate Athletic Association and Major League Baseball.

Those counterfeit championship rings would have been worth around $2.71 million had they been real.