Headlines

$8.7M in Fake Jewelry Seized in Cincinnati and Indianapolis

It arrived in 4 large shipments.

Published

3 years ago

January 26, 2022

INSTORE Staff

CINCINNATI — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Cincinnati and Indianapolis seized four large shipments of counterfeit jewelry.

$8.7M in Fake Jewelry Seized in Cincinnati and Indianapolis

Federal officers in Indianapolis and Cincinnati seized several shipments containing counterfeit jewelry.

In all, the jewelry would have been worth $8.7 if it were genuine.

On Dec. 24, CBP officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment containing 13,467 pieces of counterfeit jewelry bearing trademarks of Bvlgari, Cartier, Coach, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Rolex, Tiffany, Tori Burch and Versace. The jewelry, which came from China, would have been worth a total of $3,7 million had it been genuine.

Eleven days later, Indianapolis CBP stopped a shipment of 1,272 pieces of counterfeit jewelry bearing trademarks from multiple brands valued at $2.1 million. The following day, Indianapolis officers seized two shipments, one containing 278 items of counterfeit Cartier and Hermes bracelets and the other 1,680 items bearing trademarks including Chanel, Dior, Pandora, Prada and Tiffany. The shipments would have been worth $2 million and $900,000, respectively, had they been real.

The packages were headed to private residences in Laredo, TX; Omaha, NE; and White Plains, NY.

“This is just another example of the work our officers do to protect consumers and the U.S. economy,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for Chicago. “As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third-party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise.”

click to Comment(Comment)

Up Next

Gorjana to Open 7 Standalone Stores in First Half of 2022

Don't Miss

Telling Stories Is at the Heart of David Yurman’s New Flagship Store

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”