By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS – A Hahnville man was charged in U.S. District Court last week with trafficking counterfeit goods after he was caught passing off fake sports jerseys and designer clothing as the real deal.

Glenn R. Nicholas, 54, is the lone defendant in a one-count bill of information filed by U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office. The document indicates that Nicholas was intentionally trafficking in counterfeit professional sports jerseys and Ed Hardy merchandise in an attempt to deceive area merchants and consumers. Court documents show Nicholas had been trafficking the merchandise from July through September of this year.

If convicted, Nicholas faces a maximum term of 10 years in jail and a $2 million fine. He also faces a three-year period of supervised release after completion of his prison term.

Letten indicated that the bill is merely a charge and that guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.