San Mateo County Man Arrested for Alleged Sales of Counterfeit Apple Headphones
“In January 2024, a victim purchased a pair of counterfeit Apple Airpod Max headphones from a seller on Facebook Marketplace. The transaction occurred at Sequoia Station, and the seller claimed that the headphones were authentic. The headphones were nearly identical to real Apple Airpod Max headphones and were sold in a sealed Apple box, however they were nonfunctional. Downtown Services Unit officers initiated an investigation, and located multiple other listings for suspected counterfeit Apple headphones on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. The items were determined to have real serial numbers which could be looked up on Apple’s website, however the serial numbers were stolen from real devices and any associated warranty was invalid.
Undercover officers successfully arranged multiple transactions and purchased several pairs of headphones that were confirmed to be counterfeit. The investigation revealed that the headphones were all originating from one individual, identified as Redwood City resident Jose Angel Sanchez (age 18). A search warrant was served at Sanchez’ residence, and over $2,000 worth of counterfeit merchandise was seized. Sanchez was booked into San Mateo County Jail.”
