$15.7 million in fake sports memorabilia seized in South Carolina

Authorities in South Carolina confiscated more than 600 pieces of fake sports memorabilia that would have been worth $15.7 million if real, South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced Monday.

The pieces were taken on Feb. 8 from Kirk’s Collectibles store at the Anderson Mall in Anderson, which is 14 miles from Clemson University.

Seized fake items included 157 Super Bowl rings, 99 World Series rings, 83 NBA Finals rings, 29 Stanley Cup rings and 251 NCAA championship rings for unspecified sports, according to the Associated Press.

Items bearing the logos of Clemson and the University of South Carolina were also grabbed.

“Whether it’s a fan losing their hard-earned money on a fake item they were led to believe was authentic, or small businesses losing vital sales, intellectual property theft is a real crime with real victims and real financial impacts,” Ronnie Martinez, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Charlotte, North Carolina, said in the announcement.