LOUISVILLE, KY — Federal authorities in Louisville, KY, seized a shipment containing 1,747 pieces of counterfeit designer rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
If genuine, the items would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price over $12 million, according to a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The shipment arrived from Hong Kong and was heading to a residence in Ontario. Officers found:
- 806 necklaces displaying the logos of Van Cleef and Arpels and Louis Vuitton
- 290 pairs of earrings with Van Cleef and Arpels logos
- 588 bracelets bearing logos of Van Cleef and Arpels, Gucci, Cartier and Louis Vuitton
- 63 rings bearing Van Cleef and Arpels, Valentino and Hermes logos
The items were poorly packaged and constructed and were seized for infringing on the designer’s protected trademarks, according to the release.
“CBP is responsible for enforcing all U.S. trade laws and regulations on behalf of 49 other federal agencies. CBP officers play a critical role in the Nation’s efforts to keep unsafe counterfeit and pirated goods from harming the American public,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Chicago Field Office. “This is yet another dramatic example of how CBP officers work every day to protect the American consumer, the US economy and US jobs.”
Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson
When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren.
For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish.
"Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful."
The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing."
Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."
