Los Angeles Police Bust Counterfeit Denim Operation
Three people are awaiting prosecution for their suspected involvement in a Los Angeles– based counterfeiting ring. It allegedly imported and intended to sell thousands of pairs of knockoffs of brands such as Citizens of Humanity, Antik Denim, Rock & Republic and Joe’s Jeans, as well as sportswear from other popular labels such as Lacoste and Abercrombie & Fitch.
Clay Gonzales, 38, Victor Saedon, 40, and Niss Sayag, 44, were arrested during a June 29 raid conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department and private investigators, who seized clothing valued at $2.5 million.
The suspects were booked for willfully manufacturing, intentionally selling or possessing for sale any counterfeit of a registered trademark. Bail was set at $20,000 each. If convicted, the suspects could face fines and jail time.
Police made the arrests at a wholesale and retail operation called Unlimited Styles at 1700 Griffith Ave. in downtown Los Angeles. Two truckloads of merchandise were seized, said Los Angeles Police Capt. Sean Cane.
Police investigators were alerted to the operation after U.S. Customs officials notified Lacoste that they had seized some counterfeit merchandise en route to the L.A. business. Police then conducted a sting operation and bought $1,300 worth of merchandise from Unlimited Styles, Cane said.
On June 29, police served a search warrant on the business and found counterfeit clothing bearing the labels of several brands.
Sea showroom representative Katie Mintz, who sells Citizens of Humanity jeans, and Rock & Republic President Andrea Bernholtz were on hand at a June 30 LAPD press conference announcing the arrests and seizure.
“The counterfeiting of premium denim really eats into our business and that of our retailers,” Mintz said. “Law enforcement has put in a good effort in stopping some of this activity, but there’s a lot of it going on.”
Mintz said the contraband jeans were of poor quality and obvious knockoffs. “The stitching was off and very cheap denim was used,” she said. —Robert McAllister
