Counterfeit Handbag Retailer Sentenced to 18 months
On July 5, 2006, a Michigan man was sentenced to 18 months after pleading guilty to trafficking or attemting to traffic in counterfeit trademarked merchandise in violation of the federal counterfeiting statute. The merchandise seized from this man included counterfeits of bags produced by Prada, Kate Spade, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Gudcci.
The press release issued by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan states that, on the date of his arrest, Cousens possessed with the intent to sell handbags and other counterfeit items with a retail value of over $182,000, based on the discounted prices he charged for the counterfeits.
As is increasingly common, the initial investigation on this case was conducted by the local police department which obtained a search warrant and seized the counterfeit goods. The case was then turned over to ICE for further investigation and prosecution.