Counterfeit Nintendo Scheme Uncovered
Nassau County prosecutors revealed on Thursday that a man from Long Island has allegedly sold more than $2 million worth of counterfeit Nintendo gaming products. These items were reportedly distributed from a warehouse and sold through Amazon.
Isaac Lapidus, 34, now faces serious charges, including conspiracy and trademark forgery, after being arrested on Wednesday. If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years in prison. This case has been ongoing for about seven years, according to Nassau County District Attorney Dan Donnelly.
Donnelly stated, “For years, the defendant has supposedly operated not just from the island’s warehouse but controlled multiple Amazon seller accounts, peddling hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Nintendo accessories for various consoles.” He emphasized the potential dangers these fake products pose to consumers.
The District Attorney’s office claims that this operation was ultimately a scam involving both Nintendo and Amazon.
Lapidus allegedly started selling fakes as far back as October 2018, using five different Amazon seller accounts named PandaVidaInc., Unibabe (twice), ABC of Product, and Zuzu takes care of 4U.
Last week, Nassau County detectives seized a substantial amount of Nintendo merchandise from a warehouse located on Austin Boulevard. Reports indicate that the items included Nintendo Switch Docking Stations and accessories for Pokémon GO.
Prosecutors noted that during earlier sales, these accounts moved around 10,000 Switch Dock Adapters and approximately 15,700 Pokémon GO products. Many of these items had glaring discrepancies like incorrect serial numbers and product codes, along with visual flaws.
Lapidus is identified as the warehouse’s owner.
Authorities executed a search warrant on the premises on Tuesday, resulting in the confiscation of 46 boxes of Nintendo Switch Stations, 23 Nintendo HD video games, and various Pokémon GO accessories.
Following his arrest, Lapidus was charged and appeared before Judge Lisa Locarto, where he pleaded not guilty. He has been released on supervised conditions without bail.
