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Counterfeit Bag Buyers Held Hostage During Bust
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 20, 2009
Modified Mar 20, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 20, 2009
Modified Mar 20, 2009
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During a police raid on counterfeit purse vendors who operated their business out of vans, one vendor locked his would-be buyers in his van for two hours. He didn't make any demands and the "hostages" were released; police believe he was just scared. The vendor was arrested for trademark counterfeit charges AND unlawful imprisonment; 20 other vendors just face the counterfeiting charges. The commanding officer of the trademark unit told the Post and Daily News vendors set up their vans like storefronts, with benches, shelves and lighting, "I don't think the recession is affecting it at all." According to the NYPD, the fake bags included "a number of Louis Vuitton, Coach, Burberry, Dooney and Bourke, and Dolce & Gabbana counterfeit purses with a street value of approx. $125,000 were recovered," and the city says that besides cheating legitimate business owners, many of these operations are connected with money laundering.
Tagged
counterfeit purse
crime
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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