A Chula Vista man has pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit World Cup soccer jerseys on the Internet.
Sentencing for Clemente Leon, 37, has been set for Aug. 17 before U.S. District Court Judge John Houston in San Diego. Leon remains free on his own recognizance.
Leon was selling imported soccer jerseys and other clothing from China that were shipped to him and stored in his Chula Vista garage. He received a cease and desist letter from Nike in August 2013, but continued selling the items, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Leon placed counterfeit World Cup team patches and stencils with the names of World Cup players on the back of the jerseys, federal prosecutors said. He sold them over the Internet on his own website and also through Amazon.
He made at least $50,000 from the sale of the counterfeit jerseys and he has agreed to forfeit the same amount to the U.S. government, according to court records, as part of his guilty plea.
The maximum sentence for the offense is 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, but he is unlikely to receive such a term since he has agreed to the large forfeiture.
