WILDWOOD — On Thur., July 15, at approximately 3:50 p.m., as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale of counterfeit trademarked items, members of the Wildwood Police Department Detective Division, and Wildwood Police Department Uniformed Patrol Division executed 12 search warrants on various stores located on the Boardwalk.

As a result of the execution of these search warrants, in excess of 8,900 counterfeit trademarked items and approximately $40,000 in currency was seized. The seized counterfeit items that were offered for sale by merchants, included tee-shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirts, sunglasses, caps, and heat transfers that reflected trademark infringement on Monster Energy, Fox Racing, D.C. Clothing, Dolce Gabana, Famous Stars and Straps, and Rock Star Energy Drink.

The subjects arrested as a result of this investigation were:

Udi Hayut of Spirit U.S.A. (4202 Boardwalk), 41, of Hisroin, N.Y.; Erez Ascanderani of Beachware Fashions (2906 Boardwalk), 30, of Wildwood; Lior Giset of Captain Deckens (3415 Boardwalk), 44, of Wildwood; David Einy of Wild Gifts (4320 Boardwalk), 24, of Plantation, Fla.; Fady Abdelmalek of Papillon III (2820 Boardwalk), 27, of Wildwood; Heidy Estrella of High Octane (3214 Boardwalk), 27, of Wildwood; Shmuel Anijar of Shore Shop, (2800 Boardwalk), 55, of Hollywood, Fla; Walid Elshazli of Papillon (3200 Boardwalk), 21, of Burke, Va; Joseph Benatar of Fortune Sportswear, 57, of Hollywood, Fla; and Joseph Sakkal of Marci’s Place (4002 Boardwalk), Wild Planet (4006-4008 Boardwalk), and Bobby's Place (4108-4110 Boardwalk), 54, of Long Branch.

All who were arrested as part of this investigation were processed and released on summons complaints for a violation of counterfeit mark (a crime of the fourth degree), and violation of the City of Wildwood local ordinance regarding use of a custom garment form, with, the exception of Joseph Sakkal, who received three summons complaints for each of these offenses, and Joseph Benatar who received an additional charge for obstruction of justice for removing money from a safe and attempting to hide it under a mattress at 3710 Boardwalk during the time the search warrant was being executed on the store.