HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA… A raid conducted in Miami, Florida on May 27 by Miami Dade Police Department resulted in one arrest and the confiscation of counterfeit golf clubs bearing the marks of such brand names as Titleist, Scotty Cameron, Cleveland Golf and TaylorMade.
Jorge Wagner was arrested and charged with one felony count of possession of counterfeit goods with intent to sell. He was released on $5,000 bail.
In this case, several golf manufacturers were notified of counterfeit products arriving from China through seizure notices received by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Miami. Subsequent seizures also were conducted out of Anchorage, Alaska and Long Beach, California, all with products going to various aliases and locations used by Wagner within the Miami area.
“We were able to connect the importer information provided by Customs, with Mr. Wagner’s eBay seller id’s: exo05, cosmo_electronics, sellingstuff83 and theperfectstuff. These items were being listed as brand new, legitimate Cleveland Golf products,” said Steve Gingrich, Vice President of Global Legal Enforcement. “Thanks to the diligence of Customs agents, and the work produced by the Miami Dade Police Department, we were successful in our efforts to shut down another individual who preyed on internet shoppers by selling and using our brand name.” “Counterfeit products are returned to us for warranty repair on a daily basis by consumers believing the product they purchased on the internet to be legitimate,” added Gingrich. “The golf industry is committed to combating the proliferation of counterfeit golf products and strongly encourages all consumers to purchase their products from authorized dealers.”
“Acushnet Company is pleased with the outcome of this case,” said Lisa Rogan, Trademark Manager for Acushnet Company, which comprises the Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra brands. “We are doing everything we can to protect consumers and retailers by keeping counterfeit golf product out of the marketplace. We will continue to investigate sellers and work with law enforcement to prosecute those sellers.”
The brand companies victimized by the Miami-based counterfeiting operation are members of the U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group, which was formed in 2004 to petition U.S. and Chinese government agencies to combat counterfeit activity.
For additional information, please contact Keith Patterson, Cleveland Golf.
About Cleveland Golf:
Based in Huntington Beach, CA, Cleveland Golf enjoys a strong presence on the PGA TOUR as well as competitive tours worldwide. Cleveland’s staff includes Vijay Singh, Boo Weekley, David Howell, and many other players. The company was founded in 1979 and originally manufactured high quality replicas of classic golf clubs from the 1940s and 1950s, but soon earned the reputation as an innovative producer of original equipment in its own right. Cleveland Golf’s parent company, SRI Sports Limited, is the number one golf club manufacturer in Japan. SRI Sports also owns the Srixon golf-equipment brand. Cleveland Golf remains steadfastly committed to providing tour-proven, premium golf equipment to passionate golfers at prices that ensure optimal value to consumers.
Contact:
(714) 889-5808
Keith Patterson
keithpatterson@clevelandgolf.com
