10 charged in Seattle counterfeit bust
SEATTLE -- Prosecutors have charged 10 people accused of selling counterfeit goods at various locations around the city, including store fronts, private homes and in the back of vans.
Ten people - Fsaill Dane, Mindy Moschia, Sunday Nwokedi, Mahammadu Drammeh, Abubakkar Sesay, Malamin Banda, Ousainou Sumareh, Ebrima Jobe, Mohamed Toure and Mohaned Kabba - each face a counterfeiting charge following an investigation through which detectives recovered more than 40,000 pieces of counterfeit goods worth nearly $2 million in street value.
Three of the defendants - Toure, Banda and Jobe - have also been charged with attempted theft in the first degree.
FBI agents aided Seattle police in the investigation that spanned from 2007 to 2008 and uncovered the sales of counterfeit merchandise, including handbags, wallets, clothing, shoes, sunglasses, CDs and other items, according to charging documents. The items featured copyright-protected brands of Burberry, Chanel, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Dooney & Burke, Fendi, Gucci, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Prada and Versace.
According to charging documents, detectives conducted a number of undercover purchases at various location in April and May of 2008, including a brown van parked in the 1400 block of Alaskan Way selling fake brand-name purses. Detectives said they purchased a fake Coach purse for $50 at the van run by Mahammadu and Abubakarr.
Investigators also visited stores: Seattle Handbags at 1902 Second Ave., Jobe's Urban Gear at 2202 S. Jackson, St. and Toure's Apparel at 2301 S. Jackson St. where they bought counterfeit items, including a purse, a wallet and a pair of fake Nike shoes at low prices.
Police served search warrants at the above locations, as well as the home of Malamin Banda in the 320 block of 22nd Ave. S. before arresting the 10 suspects.
After the arrests, at least six of the suspects "admitted they knew the merchandise they were selling was counterfeit," the documents said.
Surareh, who claimed to to be an employee of Banda at Seattle Handbags, said he did not know it was illegal to sell counterfeit goods.
One suspect, Toure, told investigators he began selling counterfeit goods in 2007 "because there was so much money to be made," according to the documents. Toure added most of his supply came from New York.
Three of the suspects already have a criminal record. Toure has a prior conviction for loitering for prostitution. Drammeh was convicted of third-degree assault in 2003 and driving without a license in 1996. Jobe has eight prior convictions for driving with a suspended license, and one past conviction for reckless driving.
Ten people - Fsaill Dane, Mindy Moschia, Sunday Nwokedi, Mahammadu Drammeh, Abubakkar Sesay, Malamin Banda, Ousainou Sumareh, Ebrima Jobe, Mohamed Toure and Mohaned Kabba - each face a counterfeiting charge following an investigation through which detectives recovered more than 40,000 pieces of counterfeit goods worth nearly $2 million in street value.
Three of the defendants - Toure, Banda and Jobe - have also been charged with attempted theft in the first degree.
FBI agents aided Seattle police in the investigation that spanned from 2007 to 2008 and uncovered the sales of counterfeit merchandise, including handbags, wallets, clothing, shoes, sunglasses, CDs and other items, according to charging documents. The items featured copyright-protected brands of Burberry, Chanel, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Dooney & Burke, Fendi, Gucci, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Prada and Versace.
According to charging documents, detectives conducted a number of undercover purchases at various location in April and May of 2008, including a brown van parked in the 1400 block of Alaskan Way selling fake brand-name purses. Detectives said they purchased a fake Coach purse for $50 at the van run by Mahammadu and Abubakarr.
Investigators also visited stores: Seattle Handbags at 1902 Second Ave., Jobe's Urban Gear at 2202 S. Jackson, St. and Toure's Apparel at 2301 S. Jackson St. where they bought counterfeit items, including a purse, a wallet and a pair of fake Nike shoes at low prices.
Police served search warrants at the above locations, as well as the home of Malamin Banda in the 320 block of 22nd Ave. S. before arresting the 10 suspects.
After the arrests, at least six of the suspects "admitted they knew the merchandise they were selling was counterfeit," the documents said.
Surareh, who claimed to to be an employee of Banda at Seattle Handbags, said he did not know it was illegal to sell counterfeit goods.
One suspect, Toure, told investigators he began selling counterfeit goods in 2007 "because there was so much money to be made," according to the documents. Toure added most of his supply came from New York.
Three of the suspects already have a criminal record. Toure has a prior conviction for loitering for prostitution. Drammeh was convicted of third-degree assault in 2003 and driving without a license in 1996. Jobe has eight prior convictions for driving with a suspended license, and one past conviction for reckless driving.