Parma Man Accused Of Having More Than $100,000 Worth Of Counterfeit Clothing, Boots And Shoes

A federal grand jury in Cleveland returned an indictment charging Walid Hanna, age 27, of Parma, Ohio, with trafficking in counterfeit merchandise, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment charges that on or about June 16, 2011, Hanna intentionally trafficked and attempted to traffic in goods, specifically counterfeit apparel, which, if genuine, would be valued at approximately $107,808, including: Gucci sweatshirts (9), belts (41) and shoes (30 pair); Ralph Lauren Polo shirts (193), fleece jackets (36) and caps (186); UGG boots (101 pair); New Era sports caps (656); and North Face jackets (43), which contained counterfeit marks, logos, labels, hang tags, patches, stickers, emblems, holograms and packaging.

The marks on the merchandise were identical to and substantially indistinguishable from marks used on genuine merchandise, and were in use and registered for such goods on the principle register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The indictment alleges that the use of such counterfeit and spurious marks was likely to cause confusion, mistake or to deceive.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Kern of the Cleveland U.S. Attorney’s Office, following an investigation by the Cleveland Office of the Department of Homeland Security, Office Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.