By Debbie Schlussel
When I first heard news reports in the Detroit media that an area man was caught with $240,000 worth of counterfeit Nikes, I figured the man must be a Muslim and wondered whether the media would mention his name.
It’s well known that counterfeit items–especially counterfeit cigarettes, rolling papers, and apparel–fund terrorism. In the Detroit area, the counterfeit items–including designer perfumes, viagra, and batteries–have been traced to Hezbollah funding schemes. But they also are linked to funds for HAMAS and Al-Qaeda.
Well, once again, my instincts proved correct–on both counts. The man, Ibrahim Abdul Aoun, was not only Muslim, but his Muslim name was never mentioned in the print edition of The Detroit Newsistan (gee, whatta surprise!)–listed only as “a Dearborn man.”

And beside the quarter mill in fake Nikes, what authorities also found on Aoun was interesting:
* Stolen IDs
* Illegal Firearms
Gee, I’m sure he was just your average run-of-the-mill counterfeiter, right? Just wondering how much of the money went “back home” to our friends in Hezbollah.
Given that one of the top Assistant Wayne County Prosecutors, Abed Hammoud, is an open supporter of Hezbollah, it’s amazing this case got far in Wayne County.
More:

DETROIT — A 33-year-old Dearborn resident was charged with six felonies today after police found him with between 3,000 and 4,000 bogus athletic shoes earlier this week.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy charged Ibrahim Abdul Aoun with counterfeiting property, four counts of identity theft and felony firearm in connection with the shoes, which Nike fraud investigators valued at $240,000. The cache of shoes was found on Wednesday in a raid in the 19000 block of West Seven Mile Road.
“Numerous tips about the counterfeit Nike shoes came from everyday citizens,” Worthy said. “They should be commended for reporting the illegal activity that ultimately led police to make an arrest in this case.”
The charge of counterfeiting property carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Identity theft is punishable by five years and or a $25,000 fine. Conviction on felony firearm carries a mandatory two-year sentence.

BTW, even though Muslims frequently counterfeit Nike products for terrorism financing, that hasn’t stopped Nike from providing free Nike T-shirts to CAIR. It’s a practice that began long ago when the group whined that a Nike design on a shoe looked like the Arabic for “Allah.” It’s been free Ts to CAIR from the Beaverton, Oregon shoe and apparel giant, ever since.