Underworld figure had international connections.
Federal agents arrested a man on Monday, charging him with possessing and selling more than 1,300 counterfeit badges representing 35 law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency said.
The counterfeits are “very, very good,” said Special Agent in Charge Martin Ficke, who added that nine out of 10 would “pass scrutiny.”
The phony badges mimic real badges from agencies such as the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Customs, Drug Enforcement Agency, Treasury and New York Police Department, Ficke said. Some even had a signature from the company that makes the real badges.
Officials said the badges were shipped from Taiwan to San Francisco, California, and were discovered by a customs agent who then contacted Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency officials in New York.
Posing as a DHL courier, a federal agent delivered the package to the Bronx apartment of Sergio Khorosh, a Russian who is a permanent U.S. resident, the agency said. After he signed for the package, U.S. Marshals served a search warrant.
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