Sports memorabilia dealer pleads guilty in federal court

ICE seizes over $103,000.00 in counterfeit goods

PHILDELPHIA - A local shop owner pleaded guilty on Nov. 1 in federal court to selling counterfeit goods in his store Laurel Mall store. Salvatore Argo, 35, of Mountain Top, Pa., pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court to trafficking in counterfeit goods and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was charged in June after special agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) found Argo to be in possession of unlicensed sports memorabilia.

HSI special agents found Reebok, Majestic, Mitchell and Ness sports jerseys of NHL, MLB and NFL sports teams and unlicensed sports photographs of professional NFL players at his store, The Sports Scene, located in the Laurel Mall. The value of the items seized by agents was over $103,000.00.

The counterfeit goods charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, $2 million in fines and up to three years of supervised release. The firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.

Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski.