Toledo man gets 14 months for trafficking in counterfeit goods

A Toledo man who trafficked in counterfeit goods has been sentenced to 14 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary.

Shane Burdue, 46, of the 800 block of Clark Street, was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $4,081.50 in restitution to the Coalition to Advance Protection of Sports Logos.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Burdue began receiving international shipments, which included counterfeit goods, in July, 2014. Over the next nine years, more than 800 international shipments, mostly from China, were sent to various Toledo addresses associated with Burdue. Several of these shipments, which contained counterfeit goods, were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CAPS, an alliance that coordinates trademark protection and enforcement matters for collegiate and national sports teams, sent Burdue numerous cease-and-desist letters.

Despite the parcel seizures and receipt of cease-and-desist letters from CAPS, Burdue continued to sell counterfeit merchandise at different physical locations in Toledo, as well as online through Facebook, according to prosecutors. Several of his Facebook accounts were deactivated when it was discovered he was dealing in counterfeit goods, but each time an account was deactivated, Burdue would create a new account to resume selling his illicit goods on Facebook.

In May, 2023, authorities in Toledo seized hundreds of items of counterfeit sports merchandise from his business, Shane’s Man Cave. Items seized included counterfeit caps, jerseys, and footwear which totaled more than $29,000 in manufacturer’s suggested retail price. The counterfeit merchandise violated intellectual property rights from Nike, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League, officials said.

According to federal officials, the counterfeit trade has been linked to child labor, forced labor, and other criminal activity.