Rowlett police arrested a man and seized more than 62,000 suspected counterfeit luxury items after a tip about sales on Facebook Live.
The investigation started in February when officers received information about illegal sales of counterfeit goods in the city. Detectives from the Rowlett Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, along with other agencies, executed a search warrant on February 17.
They confiscated 62,694 suspected counterfeit items representing brands including Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Coach, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, along with about $208,000 in cash and one vehicle. The goods had an estimated street value of about $995,000 and an authentic retail value exceeding $101 million.
Orlando Gonzalez Marcella faces trademark counterfeiting charges following his arrest. Authorities issued a warrant for Aida Karina Lopez Alvarez, who remains at large.
“Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime,” Rowlett Police Chief Michael Denning said. “Operations like this deceive consumers, harm legitimate businesses, and often fund broader criminal activity. We are proud of the work our detectives and partner agencies did to shut this operation down.”
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection set up a display at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to warn consumers about counterfeit merchandise, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The special campaign highlighted that many counterfeit products are made with substandard materials that could pose health hazards, and those purchasing counterfeit goods could face civil or criminal penalties.