Is this legal?

Is it legal to sell a Customs & Border Protection uniform patch, like this person is doing? I know I am the customs lawyer and I am supposed to have the answers to these questions. But, I'm not sure about this and I don't plan to look it up. If anyone knows, please drop a comment.

Comments

Shea said…
I'm interested in this also because Ryan gets the Galls police supply magazines that sell state/city police badges. We also wondered how legal this was. I did some searches and found that buying city or state badges is legal. They are supposed to be used for "collecting or recreational use (whatever that is?)" but I'm pretty sure there are weirdos out there who wear them around pretending to be cops. But I did find out that it is illegal to sell federal badges unless you are a "badge collector". This is the article I found. It's a few years old but it was the only one I could find.


Police Badges for Sale on Net
written by Peter Barnes, Tech Live Washington, DC, bureau chief on Thursday, February 07, 2002

FBI investigators were able to buy several hundred black-market badges -- both real and counterfeit -- online.
Federal investigators are cracking down on Internet sales of real -- and fake -- police, FBI, Secret Service, and other law enforcement badges.

In the wake of September 11's attacks, they are worried the badges could be bought by terrorists who could use them to get into government buildings, airports, power plants, and other facilities.

It is a federal crime to sell police, FBI, and other law enforcement badges and credentials to unauthorized people across state lines, on the Internet or otherwise, but the law exempts badge collectors and exhibitors from the restrictions.

This is just part of the article. Here is a link to the rest.

Badge article
Dec 16, 2005, 9:17:00 AM
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