Mamma mia! Long Island man peddled 100K+ fake Nintendo items

A Lawrence man faces felony charges for allegedly selling hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Nintendo products online, raking in more than $2 million in the process.

Isaac Lapidus, 34, pleaded not guilty Wednesday on charges of first-degree trademark counterfeiting and fourth-degree conspiracy.

The defendant was released to pre-trial services; his next court date is Sept. 18. If convicted, he could spend up to 15 years in prison.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Lapidus allegedly ran five Amazon seller accounts – PandaVida Inc., Unibabe, ABC of Product, This Too Shall Pass and Zuzu Cares 4 U.

“Despite consumer complaints about imitation products in their reviews, sales totaled into the millions of dollars,” Donnelly said. “Counterfeit products are not just bad for business, they can also be dangerous for consumers, especially when electronics are involved.

“It may be hard to spot a fake online, but consumers should always look out for poor reviews, try to shop directly from brands or manufacturers … and always double-check the seller and shipping source when shopping ecommerce,” she added.

A search of the Island Park warehouse on Sept. 2 recovered more than 100 boxes of counterfeit merchandise. Lapidus was arrested the same day.

_{Top photos: The character Mario from Nintendo (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) and fake Nintendo products (inset, NCPD).}