Your Grandiose Plans to Flash Sports Championship Ring Busted

Detroit, MI — The grandiose plans of posers who wanted to pass themselves off as members of championship pro sports teams or collectors looking to turn an easy buck were busted in Detroit this spring, along with the purveyors of $680,000 worth of fake championship rings.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said in a news release Thursday that its agents seized 136 counterfeit National Hockey League, National Football League and Major League Baseball championship rings in April at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The rings, which had been shipped from China, were discovered during an inspection at a DHL Express consignment facility, according to the release.

• NEWSLETTER & REAL-TIME NEWS ALERTS: Get the Top Michigan Headlines from Patch Editor Beth Dalbey

Some of the bling displayed the names and logos of several teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets.  The shipment also included rings for the Chicago Black Hawks and the Boston Red Sox.

The company identified as the receiver of the rings used a fictitious name and was found to  have previous copyright and trademark violations, according to Gary Calhoun, the acting port director for the Detroit Metro Airport.

The enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights is a Customs and Border Patrol priority trade issue, that is one that

represents high-risk areas that can cause significant revenue loss, harm the U.S. economy, or threaten the health and safety of the American people, according to the release

Image: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, used with permission