Authorities seized 5,517 pieces of suspected counterfeit sports memorabilia from a storage unit at Riverbend Storage Court, a strip mall complex in Maysville, Kentucky, and arrested five people in an investigation that led to formal charges against the operation’s organizers. The goods were valued at an estimated $295,664.

Consumer protection officer Cassius Okafor said the investigation focused on merchandise presented as collectible sports items but believed to be unauthorized reproductions. Authorities removed the items from the unit for evidence processing as the case moves forward.

The arrests and charges target the people authorities say organized the operation. Officials urged collectors to be cautious about items advertised as authenticated or limited-edition when sellers cannot provide reliable documentation of their origin.