Feds Seize $12M Worth of Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets and Rings

LOUISVILLE, KY — Federal authorities in Louisville, KY, seized a shipment containing 1,747 pieces of counterfeit designer rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

If genuine, the items would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price over $12 million, according to a press release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The shipment arrived from Hong Kong and was heading to a residence in Ontario. Officers found:

• 806 necklaces displaying the logos of Van Cleef and Arpels and Louis Vuitton
• 290 pairs of earrings with Van Cleef and Arpels logos
• 588 bracelets bearing logos of Van Cleef and Arpels, Gucci, Cartier and Louis Vuitton
• 63 rings bearing Van Cleef and Arpels, Valentino and Hermes logos

The items were poorly packaged and constructed and were seized for infringing on the designer’s protected trademarks, according to the release.

“CBP is responsible for enforcing all U.S. trade laws and regulations on behalf of 49 other federal agencies. CBP officers play a critical role in the Nation’s efforts to keep unsafe counterfeit and pirated goods from harming the American public,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Chicago Field Office. “This is yet another dramatic example of how CBP officers work every day to protect the American consumer, the US economy and US jobs.”