Nassau County authorities have identified 34-year-old Isaac Lapidus of Lawrence as the man behind a long-running counterfeit operation.
Prosecutors allege Lapidus made more than $2 million by flooding Amazon with fake Nintendo and Pokémon products through several storefronts that looked legitimate on the surface.
How Was the Counterfeit Operation Set Up?
Investigators believe Lapidus began selling counterfeit merchandise as early as 2018, using at least five Amazon seller accounts under names such as PandaVida Inc., Unibabe, ABC of Product, This Too Shall Pass, and Zuzu Cares 4 U (later rebranded as ArminStore).
All of the accounts were tied back to his Island Park warehouse, which neighbors said was often bustling with trucks, especially around the holiday season.
From there, shipments of counterfeit goods were sent to customers nationwide.
The counterfeit lineup ranged from Switch docks and power supplies to Pokémon Go Plus devices and NES Mini clones, with prosecutors estimating more than 200,000 docks, 10,000 adapters, and 15,000 Pokémon Go gadgets reached customers.
What Tipped Investigators Off?
Had buyers not spoken up about shoddy designs, odd labeling, and malfunctioning goods, the operation could have lasted longer.
Those complaints drew Amazon’s attention, and the retailer launched its own probe.
Samples of the returned products were sent to Nintendo, whose experts quickly confirmed that the devices contained no authentic Nintendo components at all.
Nintendo flagged misprinted Japanese text, wrong serial numbers, unusual designs, and lettering that didn’t match official products.
Armed with this confirmation, Amazon shut down the accounts, refunded customers, and brought the matter to law enforcement.
What Did Police Seize From the Island Park Facility?
Authorities executed a search warrant at Lapidus’ Island Park facility in early September 2025 and discovered piles of counterfeit items such as Switch docks, adapters, and retro game sets.
Investigators also found mattresses among the items, which are now under review for possible counterfeiting.
Lapidus was arrested on charges of first-degree trademark counterfeiting and conspiracy, with the counterfeiting charge carrying up to 15 years in prison.
He has pleaded not guilty and was released to pre-trial services while awaiting his next court appearance.
His legal team argues he was unaware the goods were fake, pointing out that no production tools were found and hinting at possible involvement from others.
Prosecutors argue that Lapidus didn’t act alone and suggest that more arrests could follow.
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