Full Notification

(See PHOTOS of counterfeit merchandise by clicking on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message)

Two suspects were arrested for sales of counterfeit merchandise Wednesday afternoon, after search warrants were served at two South Los Angeles businesses.

Deputies assigned to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, had received a tip that counterfeit merchandise was being sold out of two stores in the Florence/Firestone communties of Los Angeles and the investigation resulted in the search warrants.

The warrants were served on July 6, 2011, just before 1:00PM, at two clothing stores in the 6800 and 7200 blocks of Compton Boulevard, unincorporated South Los Angeles (Century Sheriff’s Station patrol area).

Deputies seized counterfeit merchandise utilizing the Louis Vuitton, Chanel, True Religion, Coach and Gucci designer logos on handbags, wallets, clothing, jewelry, and sunglasses. The items were values at approximately $22, 000.

Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were present during the service of the search warrants to investigate how counterfeit goods are being transported to the United States.

24-year old Marcela Muniz and 57-year old Esperanza Villasano, both residents of Los Angeles, were arrested for Possession for Sales of a Counterfeit Trademark. They were booked at East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station. They were released on $20,000 bond each, Wednesday night.



** The global counterfeit market has been estimated in excess of $200 billion a year. Counterfeiting and piracy costs Los Angeles County $483 million in lost tax revenue and approximately 106, 000 jobs are lost. Counterfeiting and piracy crimes impact public safety as a gateway crime and a revenue source that funds other forms of organized crime. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is striving to increase local and global awareness of the negative and costly impact of organized intellectual property crimes.

** The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition is the world's largest non-profit organization devoted solely to protecting intellectual property and deterring counterfeiting. Membership spans from automotive, apparel, luxury goods and pharmaceuticals, to food, software and entertainment. From the small privately-owned companies to large multinationals, one common goal is shared–to combat counterfeiting and piracy. Learn how to spot fake merchandise at:

http://www.iacc.org/

** COPS Bureau, LASD
The mission of Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Bureau is to provide a holistic approach to problem oriented policing by developing, maintaining, and coordinating a multitude of operational assets to proactively reduce violent crime and enhance the quality of life for residents throughout the unincorporated regions of Los Angeles County. COPS Bureau is the headquarters unit which oversees the station COPS Deputies, the High Impact Teams (HIT), the Crime Impact Teams (CIT), the Community Development Commission Unit (CDC), the Vital Intervention & Directional Alternatives Program (VIDA) and the Parking Enforcement Detail (PED). http://www.lasd.org

Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org

To receive more detailed, up-to-date information directly from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) via e-mail, register for "Nixle" alerts at www.Nixle.com or more directly at https://local.nixle.com/register/ and register for "LASD – Headquarters Newsroom (SHB), Los Angeles County Sheriff" and your local LASD station area. Or, text your zip code to 888777 to receive text alerts only. Standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your calling plan.

(Click on the hyperlink below to see photos of the counterfeit merchandise)