LYNN — Police and the Department of Homeland Security are cracking down on the sale of counterfeit consumer goods after the arrest of two men on the Lynnway last month.
Luz Diaz, 32, of Dorchester, and Jose Miranda, 42, of Lynn, were arrested and charged with manufacturing and sales of counterfeit merchandise, according to Lynn Police Lt. Michael Kmiec. During the arrest, officers seized over 530 counterfeit items at the Lynnway Mart Indoor Mall & Flea Market.
Handbags labeled as Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Coach, Gucci, Burberry, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Prada, and Tory Burch and apparel labeled as Nike, Adidas, North Face, Christian Dior, and Hermes were among the seized counterfeit items, according to Kmiec. Were the items authentic, the total retail value would have exceeded $400,000.
“For the public’s awareness, it’s not legal to buy cheaper counterfeit products and sell them at a higher price,” said Kmiec. “A lot of effort was put in to crack this. We had undercover officers doing the buys, getting different size purses at $20 and $15.”
The joint investigation was part of a nationwide anti-counterfeiting campaign to identify manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of counterfeit consumer goods, according to Kmiec. He said it doesn’t appear the Lynnway flea market will be penalized, given the investigation was based solely around information they obtained on Diaz and Miranda.
Counterfeit goods are manufactured to look like brand-name items but are produced without the brand’s authorization, which is in direct violation of Trademark Protection and Intellectual Property Rights Laws, according to Kmiec.
The profits from many of these counterfeit sales can fund criminal enterprises, including drug organizations and terror groups, according to Kmiec. Women’s luxury handbags, designer wallets, jewelry, electronics, and apparel are some of the most counterfeited items.
“We are trying to protect consumers because, under certain circumstances, they think what they are purchasing is real,” he said.
