Man was stopped for speeding, but is in jail for what was found in his car, SC cops say
A Pennsylvania man was recently stopped for speeding on Interstate 95 but is locked up in a South Carolina jail for what was discovered inside his vehicle, according to Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
Umberto Cardinale — a 37-year-old resident of Hazelton, Pennsylvania — was charged with transportation and distribution of counterfeit goods after about $30,000 worth of phony Apple products were discovered, the sheriff’s office said Thursday in a news release.
The traffic stop happened Tuesday on a stretch of I-95 running through Florence County, according to the release. There was no word about the exact time and location of the traffic stop, or the speed the vehicle was traveling when spotted by deputies. Additionally, deputies did not say if the vehicle was driving north or south on I-95 when it was stopped.
After he was pulled over, Cardinale gave deputies consent to search his vehicle, and that’s when the counterfeit goods were found, the sheriff’s office said. Information about why the deputies asked to search the vehicle was not available.
The sheriff’s office did not list the fake Apple products that were seized, but did share a photo that showed dozens of boxes of smart watches, ear buds and other accessories.
Information about where Cardinale acquired the counterfeit goods, and where he was intending to take the phony products, was not available.
Cardinale was taken to the Florence County Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said. Bond was set at $5,000 but he remained behind bars as of Thursday afternoon, jail records show.
The sheriff’s office said if Cardinale is convicted on the felony charge, he faces a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a $20,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.
