The Department of Homeland Security raided a Massachusetts strip club that was reportedly peddling counterfeit Red Sox and Patriots apparel for lap dances.
According to the Boston Herald, “Employees at the Foxy Lady Brockton were wearing some of the knock-off sports teams shirts when investigators showed up for the strip club sweep Friday afternoon and found about $10,000 worth of counterfeit gear.” Some of the jerseys sell for about $200 at retail stores.
Brockton police Lt. Paul Bonanca told the Herald that “the club bought the poor-quality rip-offs for $3 to $5 each and then sold them to customers for $10 or as a free souvenir with two lap dances. Bonanca said the owner, who was cooperative, will likely receive a court summons for possession of counterfeit goods.”
As the outlet notes, though “not everyone who is involved in counterfeiting merchandise is affiliated with crime rings,” gangs, drug cartels, and terrorist organizations have all “exploited the counterfeit markets” to raise funds. The counterfeit market is reportedly a “$500 billion annual business globally and account for up to 8 percent of the U.S. marketplace.”