DARLINGTON — Fifteen people were arrested after Darlington County sheriff’s deputies foiled a large counterfeit T-shirt ring that was operating near Darlington Raceway during the races over the weekend.
Deputies seized 600 T-shirts, worth about $15,000, and $6,000 in cash, making it the largest counterfeiting seizure in the county this year, Darlington County Sheriff Wayne Byrd said during a press conference Tuesday.
“I think the volume (of merchandise) was surprising,” Byrd said. “This was an organization. This is a cash business. There are no taxes being paid on it ... it’s an underground economy and it takes money away from Darlington County.”
Raceway officials hire church groups and Boy Scouts to sell authentic race souvenirs from designated booths.
“These groups get a portion of the sale ... this (counterfeiting ring) is taking money away from these groups,” Byrd said.
Deputies patrolling the event attended the race with the intent of stopping the sale of counterfeit merchandise, he said. The T-shirts, which advertise the race, were being sold for $25 and weren’t quality merchandise.
S.C. Secretary of State Mark Hammond, who also was present at the press conference, said the counterfeiters infringed on the trademarking rights of NASCAR, the SprintCup Series and Darlington Raceway.
“(The raceway) is the crown jewel of the tourism industry,” he said. “And we don’t need people coming down here and preying on (the fans).”
All trademarks must be registered with his office, Hammond said.
“When you incorporate your product, no one else can use that name,” he said. “We have a duty to protect the intellectual property rights. If you copy that mark ... it’s no different than someone stealing your wallet. That wallet is owned by you.”
Counterfeiting hurts the businesses that own the rights to a logo or name, and Hammond said his office takes that very seriously.
Authorities with the office have no arresting powers but work closely with law enforcement agencies in every county.
Byrd said two vehicles were also seized during the bust.
“Under state law it’s looked at almost like drug trafficking, so that’s why we were able to seize those cars,” he said.
Most of the suspects weren’t from the Pee Dee, are very migratory and likely ran a very complex screen-printing business, Byrd said.
Arrested on trafficking counterfeit items charges were Quentin Samuel Edmonds, 26, and Paul Lee Miles, 37, of Jacksonville, Fla.; Mack Darrial Duckson, 42, of St. Matthews; Shanieque Rochelle Williams, 20, of Eastover; Paul Taylor Jr., 24, Wilbert Gregory Prince, 34, Travis Dwaine Collins, 28, Quincy O’Neil Washington, 29, Willie Smith, 39, Frank Parsons, 54, Andre Anthony Jones, 46, and Michelle Hill, 30, of Columbia; Schnetta Lanae Davis, 22, of Hopkins; and Leroy Deion Hill, 32, and James Waters, 44, of Atlanta.
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