United States Attorney Beth Drake announced that Joshua D. Korb, 38, of Greenville, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty in federal court for trafficking counterfeit goods, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2320.
Korb operated an online eBay store called Steel-Town Memorabilia, where he sold NFL merchandise marked as authentic. The investigation into Korb’s activities began following complaints from the National Football League (NFL) and payment platforms eBay and PayPal regarding numerous counterfeit goods.
Undercover purchases by agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service confirmed that all items sold by Korb were counterfeit, lacking authorization or licensing from the NFL. A search warrant was executed at Korb’s residence, where federal agents seized 2,911 pieces of NFL memorabilia, including jerseys, footballs, jerseys with forged signatures, and forged certificates of authenticity.
In a statement to law enforcement, Korb admitted purchasing and selling counterfeit merchandise through his store. He claimed to have signed the names of current and former NFL players onto sports memorabilia and listed these items as authentic on Steel-Town Memorabilia. The business expanded from a part-time venture in 2006 into a full-time operation following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl XLIII victory in 2009.
Law enforcement estimates that Korb’s operations were worth over $4 million before being shut down. Ms. Drake noted that the maximum penalty for Korb could include a fine of up to $2,000,000 and imprisonment for ten years, along with three years of supervised release and a special assessment of $100.
The investigation was conducted by agents from the United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security. Representatives from the NFL, NBA, and MLB also provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins handled the case for the federal government.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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