U.S. Customs seizes 101 models of Neyland Stadium for counterfeit mark

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — 101 scale models of Neyland Stadium with counterfeit marks worth over a quarter of a million dollars were seized by U.S. Customs and Board Protection in Norfolk, Virginia.

U.S. Customs and Board Protection (CBP) said in a release on Friday that the models were inspected on February 20 after they arrived from China. According to the release, the models, measuring 32 inches by 32 inches and one foot tall, were headed to an address in Arlington, Texas.

The retail value of the models was $252,500, according to the release, placing the cost for each model at $2,500.

The officers who inspected the replicas suspected that a mark on the electrical plug might have been used without authorization detained the models. CBP says the electrical plug that powers the lights within the stadium models could pose a safety risk. The marks were verified as not authentic on March 21 by CBP’s trade experts, and the items were seized by CBP officers near Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, on March 27.

“Imagine a Volunteers fan proudly displaying his or her lighted replica stadium model only to wake up to the sound of the smoke detectors. This is a real danger posed by counterfeited electrical products” said Mark Laria, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Norfolk-Newport News. “These stadium models are an odd thing to counterfeit, but this seizure proves that unscrupulous manufacturers and vendors will try to illegally profit on any commodity despite the potential threat it may pose to consumers.”

Photos shared by CBP show a of the miniature Neyland Stadium sitting on a table with surrounding details, like cars in an adjacent parking lot. In addition to the Power T in the middle of the field and the checkered stands, one photo shows working lights illuminating part of the field and concourse.

While an investigation is ongoing, no one has been criminally charged, the release says.