Dozens of flashy but fake Yankees, Patriots, other team rings seized at JFK Airport

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Customs officers inspecting shipments coming through John F. Kennedy Airport found and seized dozens of sports rings that turned out to be fake, authorities said.

The officers, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, confiscated 177 counterfeit pro and collegiate colorful, intricate, and sparkling championship-style rings inside a shipment from China in March. CBP released photos of the fake rings this week.

"Every day CBP Officers protect the American public and its economy," Troy Miller of CBP's New York Field Office said in a news release. "This most recent interception of counterfeit sports rings demonstrates the ongoing vigilance and commitment to the mission by our CBP Officers and Import Specialists."

The rings featured trademarked designs from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, federal authorities said.

The rings mimicked jewelry for New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Red Wings, and more, according to released photos.

Federal authorities estimated that the rings would have been worth more than $11 million had they been genuine.

Counterfeit goods hurt the American economy and also generate revenue for organized crime and other criminal activities, according to customs officials.

"CBP has established the Truth Behind Counterfeits educational campaign to raise consumer awareness about the health and safety, legal, and economic consequences of purchasing counterfeit and pirated goods," the CBP said in a release.