Counterfeit Steelers Super Bowl rings seized by federal authorities

Pittsburgh — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Pittsburgh seized 60 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl rings in eight different parcels that arrived from China and were destined to addresses in Allegheny County.

>>>PHOTOS: Counterfeit Steelers Super Bowl rings seized by federal authorities

The rings arrived as six-ring sets and represented each of the Steelers six Super Bowl championships.

“Steelers’ fans are some of the best fans in the country and I certainly can appreciate them wanting to own collector sets representing their team’s past glories, but upon further review, these rings are counterfeit and the call to seize them stands,” said Keith Fleming, CBP’s Acting Director of Field Operations in Baltimore.

The Steelers take on the Cleveland Browns in their Wild Card match-up on Sunday Night Football on Channel 11. Our pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.

The parcels arrived between Dec. 9 and Dec. 23 and were seized on the suspicion of being counterfeit. A specialist confirmed the rings violated NFL and Steelers intellectual property rights trademarks.

If authentic, the Steelers Super Bowl rings would have had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $90,000.

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Counterfeit Steelers Super Bowl rings - WPXI U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Pittsburgh seized 60 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl rings in eight different parcels that arrived from China and were destined to addresses in Allegheny County. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

“Consumer goods like these are illegal, steal revenues from our nation’s economy, and are often constructed with potentially harmful materials that could threaten consumers’ health,” Fleming said. “Customs and Border Protection urges consumers to protect themselves and their families by always purchasing safe, authentic goods from reputable vendors.”

U.S. Customs and Border Control protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program. Importation of counterfeit merchandise can cause significant revenue loss, damage the U.S. economy, and threaten the health and safety of the American people.

On a typical day in 2019, officers seized $4.3 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations.

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