State
of Florida
Office of the State Attorney
16th Judicial Circuit
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Office of the State Attorney 16th Judicial Circuit
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Criminal Justice System Overview Employment Opportunities |
April 11, 2005 A synchronized raid on 18 targets across South Florida last Thursday yielded an estimated $500,000 in suspected counterfeit merchandise say investigators with State Attorney Mark Kohl’s office. At precisely 1:00 PM on April 7, nearly 100 agents led by the State Attorney’s office and ICE (U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) swept a residence as well as retail and wholesale outlets from Sunny Isles to Key West serving search warrants and confiscating bogus brands. Seven Duval Street shops were targeted. Paul Meyers, Chief Investigator for Kohl’s office, headed the operation which he described as “logistically challenging.” “It was critical that we hit all 18 locations simultaneously so that they couldn’t contact one another – that’s how evidence can be destroyed or moved,” explained Meyers. “We were dealing with three jurisdictions, more that ten Federal, County and City law enforcement agencies and scores of agents. The sweep wouldn’t have succeeded without exceptional cooperation from everyone.” While the dramatic operation lasted fewer than three hours, the investigation leading up to it took much longer. Early this year, the State Attorney’s office and ICE received information alleging that counterfeit apparel and accessories were for sale in Key West. Investigators contacted manufacturers whose brands were allegedly being knocked off including “7 for all mankind” jeans, Diesel, La Coste and Liz Claiborne’s “Juicy Couture” line. “7 for all mankind,” an up-market, hand-made jeans brand based in California sent its vice-president and legal representative to assist in the investigation. The jeans contain a sophisticated marker making fakes easy for authorities to spot. Investigators made “controlled buys” of “7 for all mankind” jeans as well as other suspected brands. They determined that many of the labels were knock-offs. The investigation expanded to include retailers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Investigators also found fake fashions in a number of Miami Beach boutiques. Much of the counterfeit merchandise was traced to a wholesaler in Miami-Dade and a residence in Sunny Isles. The State Attorney’s office and ICE began to secure search warrants and assistance from various agencies in the three jurisdictions – a daunting task. Law enforcement agencies participating in the operation, in addition to the Monroe County State Attorney’s office and ICE were U. S. Boarder Patrol; U. S. Attorney; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Florida Department of Revenue; Florida Division of Alcohol and Tobacco; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Key West Police Department; Key West Code Enforcement; Miami-Dade County State Attorney, Miami-Dade Police Department; Miami Beach Police Department; Broward County State Attorney; Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the Sunny Isles Police Department. Meyers described the seriousness of the counterfeit apparel business. “It’s fraud – plain and simple. It robs legitimate manufacturers and honest consumers. And clothing is just the tip of the iceberg. There are counterfeit car parts, DVD’s and CD’s, even counterfeit medical heart valves and medicines.” He further outlined the more sinister aspects of the scam. “We know that counterfeit goods are linked to organized crime and terrorist groups,” Meyers said. “Evidence was presented in Federal Court that the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center in New York was funded by the sale of counterfeit apparel.” Meyers also offered some tips for spotting knock-offs. “First of all, understand that fakes are hard to spot. Look for shoddy workmanship and labels.” He also cautioned shoppers to look for authorized dealers. “You are just not going to find a legitimate Chanel or Fendi handbag for sale in a novelty shop.” |
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Last modified:
10/23/07
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