Deadline Detroit | Warren police arrest seven in flea market sting of fake designer items
Melissa M. Dunn
2 min read
If you thought that Chanel bag you bought at a Warren flea market was the real thing, we have bad news for you.
(Sad trombone.)
Handbags on the table: Warren police post seizure (Photo: Warren PD)
This was not the case.
Warren police arrested seven people this week in connection with the sale of counterfeit branded items, including designer handbags, sunglasses, shoes and other items.
The free press reports:
(Warren Police) conducted a surveillance this month and identified four kiosks selling counterfeit merchandise from brands including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace, Chanel, Coach, Armani, MCM, Ferragamo and Ray-Ban, according to a statement. from the prosecutor’s office.
Investigators executed search warrants at the kiosks and two residences, one in Warren and one in Sterling Heights, seizing counterfeit goods and cash.
… Police said four were from Warren, two from Sterling Heights and one from Detroit. They are between 28 and 89 years old, according to police and online district court records.
Police also released a photo of some of the seized goods that will be familiar to fans of “The Wire”. See above.
The cash seizure was reportedly $100,000, according to WXYZ.
Macomb County District Attorney Pete Lucido called the seizure “huge” and “a big deal.”
Counterfeiting of designer items is rampant across much of the country, though it’s unclear if someone who pays $50 for a bag that’s sold in legitimate stores to thousands of people thinks they’re getting it. the truth. However, it is illegal. Counterfeit items are often made using exploited labor and can benefit criminal organizations overseas and domestically.
