Media

Sheriff’s ALERT Unit Finds Bogus Designer Merchandise In Whitehaven Area Raid

Release Date: February 8, 2006

Detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office ALERT Unit continued their efforts recently to combat the sale of counterfeit merchandise. Investigators raided two locations in the Whitehaven area and found almost a half-million dollars worth of fake designer label merchandise.

“Our ALERT Unit detectives received information that these illegal items were being stored and sold. The sale of counterfeit merchandise continues to be a growing problem in Memphis and Shelby County. We will continue to investigate these types of crimes which have a huge financial impact on the business community in Shelby County,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

ALERT Unit detectives (Area Law Enforcement Retailers Team) is a collaborative between the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, area retailers, the motion picture and music industry, the Tennessee Department of Revenue, and various law enforcement agencies to investigate shoplifting, fraud, as well as stolen and counterfeit merchandise.

Deputies, accompanied by U. S. Customs Agents, raided a warehouse about 12:30 p.m. at 220 Brooks Road on Friday of last week (February 3). They found almost a thousand counterfeit items including designer label purses, jerseys and shoes. They arrested Djibril Tambadou, 26, Memphis. He was charged with Criminal Simulation over $60,000 which is a felony.

Djibril Tambadou	Jimmy Davis, Jr.

Jimmy Davis, Jr., 49, of Greenwood, Mississippi, was also arrested as he was walking into the warehouse with several counterfeit ladies’ purses. He was also charged with Criminal Simulation over $500.00

After raiding the Brooks Road warehouse, Deputies visited a self-storage facility at 4000 South Third Street. They found more than 1,000 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and 184 pieces of counterfeit items similar to those on Brooks Road.

ALERT Unit Deputies say their investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected.

So far this year, 20 people have been arrested by the Sheriff’s Office ALERT Unit for various retail crimes.