Ohio Man Sentenced for Trafficking Counterfeit Goods

Shane Burdue, 46, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary trafficking in counterfeit goods. He was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $4,081.50 in restitution to the Coalition to Advance Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS).

Burdue began receiving international shipments, which included counterfeit goods, in July 2014 according to court documents. Between 2014 and 2023 more than 800 international shipments, mostly from China, were destined for various addresses associated with Burdue in Toledo. Several of these shipments, which contained counterfeit goods, were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He also received numerous Cease-and-Desist letters from CAPS, which is an alliance that coordinates trademark protection and enforcement matters for collegiate and national sports teams.

Despite the parcel seizures and receipt of Cease-and-Desist letters from CAPS, Burdue continued to sell counterfeit merchandise at different physical locations in Toledo, as well as online through the social media platform Facebook. Several of his Facebook accounts were deactivated when it was discovered he was dealing in counterfeit goods. Each time an account was deactivated, Burdue would create a new account to resume selling counterfeit goods through Facebook. In May 2023, authorities seized hundreds of items of counterfeit sports merchandise from his business, "Shane's Man Cave," during a search warrant execution in Toledo. Items seized included counterfeit caps, jerseys and footwear which totaled more than $29,000 in Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. The counterfeit merchandise violated intellectual property rights from Nike, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League.

According to the "2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy," counterfeit goods can pose safety hazards for both consumers and workers due to a lack of regulatory oversight. The counterfeit trade has also been linked to child labor, forced labor, and other criminal activity.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak.