Fake Hermes bracelets
Fake Tiffany necklace
$35K cash seizedTUCSON, AZ (CBS5) -
Fake luxury brand jewelry worth an estimated $1 million was seized by federal agents from a pair of vendors at a Tucson gem show.
Two men at the Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers Show were arrested by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
HSI special agents seized more than 2,500 pieces of jewelry and nearly $35,000 in cash from booths in the Gem Mall pavilions on Country Club Road and in the Holidome on Palo Verde Road.
The seized items feature fraudulent trademarks of companies such as Tiffany & Co., Chanel, Hermes, Coach, Gucci and more.
The two suspects were arrested and released on their own recognizance pending indictment in Arizona state court. Both face potential state charges of fraud, counterfeiting, money laundering and illegal enterprise.
"People sometimes think they're getting a 'gem' of a deal when they buy knock-off luxury items," said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of HSI in Arizona. "In reality, they are supporting crime."
Both vendors came under suspicion after HSI special agents received a tip that suspected counterfeit jewelry items were being sold at the three booths. Workers at the booths told undercover HSI agents the items were fake and then sold the items to the investigators.
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