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Chicago customs officers seize 86 counterfeit sports championship rings

CHICAGO — Customs officials in Chicago seized 86 counterfeit championship sports rings on Monday that would have been worth more than $2.38 million had they been genuine, authorities said.

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In a news release, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the shipment arrived at the Chicago port of entry from China.

Agents said the shipment contained 34 fake New York Yankees baseball championship rings and 24 bogus Chicago Bulls NBA rings. There were also 22 counterfeit rings for MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals and six for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Chicago’s Trade Enforcement Team and CBP’s trade experts at the Centers of Excellence and Expertise determined that the jewelry was fake because the rings were of poor quality and lacked the normal security features found on the memorabilia, the news release stated.

>> Customs agents recover 661 fake championship rings

The shipment was addressed to a location in Florissant, Missouri, the release said.

“Shipments like these prey on the many sports fans across the nation who may be scammed into paying high prices for fake memorabilia,” LaFonda Sutton-Burke, the CBP’s director of field operations in Chicago, said in a statement. “I’m extremely proud of these officers’ determination in stopping illicit shipments, and our commitment to protecting the American economy.”

In July, customs agents in Indianapolis seized 661 counterfeit rings from three shipments that also arrived from China. The street value of those rings, had they been genuine, would have topped $803,000.