Eagle TribuneLAWRENCE — Police, joined by agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, arrested 40 people for selling counterfeit items at two flea markets yesterday.
“This is an effort to support local, legitimate businesses who have complained of these individuals selling bogus merchandise,” Interim Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick said of the sweep last night.
“Over the course of several months, we targeted individual selling counterfeit goods and counterfeit intellectual property. Our investigation culminated with the arrests of over 40 people involved in selling these illicit items,” he said. “In recent history, I believe this is probably the largest raid in Massachusetts involving counterfeit goods.”
The raids began at about 11 a.m. yesterday and lasted through late afternoon. The raids took place at Don Flea Market at 85 Manchester St., and Lawrence Flea Market and Auction House at 468 N. Canal St, near the Falls Bridge, according to Fitzpatrick. The Police Department used several vans, some of them loaned by the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, to transport the defendants to the Lawrence Police Department, where they were being booked last night.
Fitzpatrick said he believed that most of those charged were from out of town.
“The Department of Homeland Security was the lead with Lawrence Police Department,” said Carrie Kimball-Monahan, spokeswoman for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office.
“We were part of the investigation and we will prosecute,” she said.
Police referred all comments on the raid to federal authorities. Calls to the U.S. Attorney’s office and Homeland Security were not returned.
Fitzpatrick said federal agents planned to wait until tomorrow before issuing a press release about yesterday’s raids.
“There’s a great deal of evidence that needs to be cataloged,” Fitzpatrick said of the items seized. Some of the counterfeit items sold were fake lines of clothing, he said.
This is the latest in a series of crackdowns on local flea markets across the county launched by Homeland Security agents in recent years.
Federal and local authorities raided the Grandview Flea Market in Derry, N.H., several years ago and arrested three men they say were selling counterfeit designer purses and wallets. Those arrests were the culmination of a two-year investigation into the sale of counterfeit goods at the flea market at 2 Island Pond Road.
Two Chinese nationals were later convicted of selling fake handbags and other counterfeit goods imported from China at the Grand View Flea Market. A third man, who faced nearly identical charges, was found not guilty.
The safety risks of buying fake goods are real, experts say.
Counterfeit goods, or knockoffs, are different from the cheaper imitation versions found at major retailers, like Wal-Mart or Target, in that those retailers sell items that follow Consumer Safety Product Commission guidelines.
Fakes usually are smuggled into the country unregulated; nearly 80 percent come from China, according to U.S. Customs officials.
Safety risks include fake batteries that contain mercury, electrical products that don’t meet safety standards, perfumes found to contain urine and high alcohol content, and clothing made with toxic dyes and flammable materials.
While cosmetics are generally not subject to pre-market approval, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration restricts the use of certain ingredients and requires warning labels. Legitimate manufactures can be fined or face other enforcement action if they don’t comply.
And if the potential health risks don’t scare buyers, the economic risks and potential terror funding should, said Robert Barchiesi, president of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition.
“You support organized crime, gang activity, and terrorist organizations that use this as a funding mechanism,” he said.
Barchiesi estimates the U.S. economy loses out on at least $200 billion in revenue and 750,000 jobs a year from counterfeit sales.
“This isn’t a victimless crime,” Barchiesi added.
A man who answered the phone at Don Flea Market said “I am not at liberty to talk about this right now” and then hung up the phone.
No one at Lawrence Flea Market could be reached for comment last night.
http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x2117385977/Authorities-raid-flea-markets
Something is wrong here – how did the DHS get jurisdiction of countereit items?
it seems to me that this “was” the purview of the locals (County/State), and/or Customs – this DHS federal bureau(?) (that answers to nobody) is creepy.
The DHS is obviously looking for something other than cheep knock-off, counterfeit watches, and/or electrical equipment. Perhaps they are looking for 3-D printed guns and other similar forbidden items?
If the DHS really wanted to nail counterfeit DVD tapes, cell phones, or other Chinese merchandise, then all they would have to do is go the NYC street vendors during the work week… this is where most of that stuff originates from anyway.