On Jan. 23, a traffic stop by a DPS Highway Patrol officer on State Route 387 south of Phoenix after midnight led to the seizure of 98 counterfeit football jerseys, 40 signed footballs and additional fake memorabilia
The officer originally stopped the Toyota Tundra for speeding on S.R. 387 near milepost 5 but noticed a large number of football jerseys in the back seat area as he approached driver’s side window. The officer had recently undergone training ahead of the Super Bowl in recognizing counterfeit items and suspected criminal activity. The officer obtained consent to search and seized the counterfeit items.
The driver Matthew Darlington, 35, stated he was visiting from East Wenachee, Washington. Darlington will be facing charges but was not booked at the time of stop. All items seized were turned over to federal law enforcement officials.