Federal customs agents recently shut down and confiscated the inventory from a Web-based business near Durango as part of their investigation into the alleged trafficking of counterfeit merchandise of the world’s elite soccer teams and players.
The inventory taken under federal court order last month was largely phony jerseys — many from the USA women’s national team but also of players from teams such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal — offered for sale via the business’ website, , according to affidavits filed in the case.
The owner of the site, Sven Gunnar Christopher Skoglund, 54, of Durango, also moved the phony merchandise through a small pizza restaurant in Hermosa, agents said. Hermosa is about 12 miles north of Durango.
The connection between Skoglund, the pizza restaurant and a small market that share the same location was not made clear.
An employee of the pizza store who answered the phone Tuesday and would not give his name said he believed (Skoglund) was in Switzerland. A home phone for Skoglund had been disconnected.
In all, agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol say Skoglund easily made more than $116,000 from the fake jerseys — including those of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mia Hamm and Abbey Wambach — over a four-year period.
While many of the sales were via the website, Skoglund also traveled around the area to various sporting events selling the merchandise, agents said.
Agents made several purchases on the website in 2012 and 2013 before filing the seizure request. No charges have been filed in the case, though it remains under investigation.
A judge also allowed CBP to confiscate about $700 in various bank accounts — initially believing more than $107,000 was still in them — including from an online PayPal account Skoglund maintained for the website.
They also seized the Internet domain, which now sports several badges from federal agencies declaring it has been shut down.
Representatives of the various athletes and soccer clubs whose names were represented on the merchandise said the clothing was not licensed or authorized, agents said.
State incorporation records show Skog- lund started a business in 2005 called World Game Marketing, but it was dissolved less than two years later.
Another business Skoglund started the same year, Grenoli Trading, also ended quickly — though federal customs agents said Skoglund continued to operate under that name until the seizure last month. Its purpose, according to incorporation records, was the “sale of soccer and snacks.”
David Migoya: 303-954-1506, dmigoya@denverpost.com or
