Woman charged with selling fake goods at Panthers game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Documents Channel 9 obtained said Tammy Howard is charged with criminal use of a counterfeit trademark, a felony.

Police said they rounded up items totaling more than $150,000 between Howard and three others.

As fans made their way in and out of Bank of America stadium Sunday, police were busy rounding up fake merchandise being sold to unsuspecting visitors.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers, working with the Secretary of State's counterfeit task force, arrested 42-year-old Howard, who they said set up shop near the stadium.

They seized $152,000 of handbags, wallets and fake designer items like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and other name brand knock-offs.

Channel 9 went to Howard's home to ask her about the charges but no one was home.

Three other vendors also got three misdemeanor citations for selling counterfeit NFL T-shirts outside Sunday's game. Police said none of those operations compared to Howard's.

Fans like Carl Hollada said he's willing to spend money at football games, as long as what he's buying isn't fake.

Police said counterfeit goods are usually untested and could be unsafe to consumers. They also steal from designers and harm the economy and could even fund organized crime.

"Just ‘cause you know you're not getting truly what you pay for," Hollada said.

Howard will go before a Mecklenburg County judge Tuesday on the charges.

WSOC