By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities have charged the owner of an electronics store in Orange with trafficking in counterfeit Apple merchandise, Essex County officials announced.
According to a statement released by Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, Mahmoud Salim, 63, of Woodland Park, was arrested on June 5 and charged with third-degree counterfeiting.
Salim is accused of selling more than 100 fake Apple products—including AirPods, iPhones, and various accessories—out of his store, Super Star, located on Main Street.
The arrest was made as part of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Intellectual Property Enforcement Program, a DOJ-funded initiative aimed at combating the distribution of goods that infringe on copyright and trademark protections.
The program also investigates online piracy and often coordinates with other units to pursue suspects connected to gang or organized crime activity.
Authorities emphasized that these are only allegations and that Salim is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.