LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Cartier's Love bracelet is an expensive and sought after piece of jewelry. If you walked into the store in Beverly Hills, California the piece would cost you $6,300. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers here in Louisville found a lot of the pricey jewelry at the Express Consignment Operations hub, unfortunately, the bracelets and other jewelry found were all fakes. If the goods were real, they would be worth over $90 million.

 

COURTESY U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

 

 

 

“When purchasing items from a vendor over the internet if it seems like too good of a deal it is,” said Thomas Mahn Jr., Louisville Port Director. “A Cartier bracelet listed online for $25 is definitely not authentic.”

During two weeks in July, CBP officers took three large shipments of counterfeit bracelets totaling more than $42 million. This seizure led to the arrest of a pastor in North Carolina. He was also found to have a cache of more than 3,200 fake Cartier bracelets. North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall charged pastor JianGang "Frank" Lan with felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark. He is currently being held on a $25,000 bond in Orange County, North Carolina.

CBP had another major seizure two weeks ago. Officers recovered five shipments of counterfeit jewelry that if the items were real would be worth $48 million.

“Seizures, like these, will ensure inferior, often dangerous goods do not fall into the hands of everyday Americans,” said Mahn. “Counterfeit jewelry is often forged with lead and other hazardous materials unbeknownst to the buyer. These seizures protect the rights of the intellectual property rights holder, health and safety of Americans, and the reputation of online marketplaces involved in these transactions.” 
COURTESY U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

 

 “Counterfeit jewelry is often forged with lead and other hazardous materials unbeknownst to the buyer. These seizures protect the rights of the intellectual property rights holder, health and safety of Americans, and the reputation of online marketplaces involved in these transactions.” 

Counterfeit products are often made in unregulated factories and with substandard materials. CBP constantly works to protect businesses and consumers through its Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program. Counterfeit merchandise can cause significant revenue loss, damage the U.S. economy, and threaten the health and safety of the American people. 

If you have information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade, please contact the CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT (800-232-5378)