In a significant operation, detectives from the Arlington Police Department's Economic Crimes Unit (ECU) have collaborated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to execute one of the largest seizures of counterfeit merchandise in the department's history.
Prompted by a tip earlier this summer, the APD embarked on an investigation into an online business operating out of Arlington named Creo Piece. The business was suspected of engaging in the illegal manufacture and sale of products featuring copyrighted trademark logos from various high-end fashion brands.
As part of their meticulous investigation, undercover officers made multiple purchases from Creo Piece and confirmed that the acquired items were indeed unlicensed and fraudulent. Armed with this evidence, ECU obtained a search warrant for the company's warehouse situated in the 500 block of Prairie Street.
During a recent operation this month, officers from APD, along with HSI Agents, successfully executed the search warrant. The ensuing search yielded a substantial haul of 101,118 individual items, valued at an estimated $653,222 based on the prices indicated on Creo Piece's website. The seized items included embroidered patches and heat transfer merchandise, along with the machinery used for their production, such as an embroidery machine and a heat transfer printing machine.
The joint effort between the Arlington Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations has resulted in the arrest of Creo Piece's owner, 35-year-old Oumar Dia. A warrant for Dia's arrest was secured on charges of Trademark Counterfeiting exceeding $300,000. Dia was apprehended in Dallas County over the weekend and subsequently booked into the Dallas County Jail. However, he has since been released on bond.
