Police Confiscate Counterfeit Goods from Beach Store

Hampton police seized "hundreds" of unlicensed clothing and press-on images Monday from Shirt Mania after receiving a complaint about the store selling illegal items.

The owners of Shirt Mania, located at 81 Ocean Blvd., have been charged with manufacturing and selling counterfeit goods, which is a class A misdemeanor, according to Lt. Dan Gidley.

Gidley said a search warrant was granted and executed between 9:30 a.m. and noon Monday after receiving a report from a private investigation firm contracted by Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the National Hockey League.

The firm alleged in the complaint that several counterfeit goods depicting the leagues were found and sold within the store.

Gidley said "hundreds of additional clothing items and clothing press-on images" were also seized during the search Monday after they were also identified as counterfeit.

He said these clothing items included shirts and sweatshirts that depicted a variety of trademarked company logos and symbols, including alcohol companies Corona, Coors and Jack Daniel's, as well as the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants and the New York Yankees logo, among others.

Around 500 total items were seized, and Gidley valued each to be worth between $12 and $20.

The case is still under investigation.

Gidley asked anyone with information about this and other businesses selling counterfeit products to contact the Hampton Police Department at 929-4444 and ask to speak to a detective.

Individuals can also call and remain anonymous by contacting the Crimeline for the Hamptons at 929-1222 or hamptonscrimeline@yahoo.com.