TOPEKA – The attorney general’s office has filed two lawsuits against out-of-state pop-up sellers of counterfeit Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl LIV merchandise, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.The lawsuits were filed as a part of a coordinated enforcement action in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS, Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) and Topeka Police Department (TPD). The attorney general’s office today served the lawsuits after agents from DHS made contact at the pop-up locations across Topeka, seizing all counterfeit items and all remaining funds collected from the sales of those items. KDOR also seized funds in the amount of taxes owed on those sales. TPD was on hand to assist in the event of an arrest of any individuals working at the sites who had outstanding warrants. The lawsuits were filed against:
- Philip Colwell, of Trelevant, Tennessee, d/b/a Novelties Jr.; operating five locations.
- Jennifer Sugg, of Bessemer, Alabama, and Edward Sugg, of Helena, Alabama, d/b/a Sports Connection Plus; operating one location.
The lawsuits were filed yesterday in Shawnee County District Court and allege sales of counterfeit merchandise in violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and violations of the Kansas Door to Door Statutes. The attorney general’s office is seeking a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation in addition to reimbursement of the cost of the investigation in both cases.
A copy of the petitions may be found at https://bit.ly/2uNU722 and https://bit.ly/31jdc8r.