Seven vendors with selling counterfeit bags, wallets

NEW BEDFORD — Hundreds of counterfeit Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Coach bags, even fake John Deere hats, were seized from vendors last weekend at the Whaling City Festival.

New Bedford police officers Tiffany Silver Jewellery confiscated approximately 300 counterfeit items and closed down the vendors, who by contract must leave the festival at Buttonwood Park if they are caught selling fraudulent merchandise.

Seven people will appear at a later date in New Bedford District Court on charges of selling counterfeit items.

Those charged include: Thomas J. Dang, 53, of Braintree; Teresa L. Dang, 51, of Brockton; Kai Wei Nan, 22, of New York: Robert Gebo, 57, of Northfield, N.H.; Maryanne Bernardini, 55, of Webster; and Robin M. Pearl, 46, and Eric E. Desrosiers, 35, both of Assonet.

Counterfeiting has been a problem true religion Unterhose in past years during the annual weekend festival in the park.

In 2007, local police seized thousands of counterfeit items and tossed out 16 to 18 vendors, some with multiple booths.

In 2004, working with a private investigation firm that specializes in recognizing fake Louis Vuitton handbags and non-licensed NFL and NBA baseball caps, New Bedford police confiscated $160,000 worth of merchandise from five vendors at the festival.

On that occasion, a total of 8,000 items and $8,000 in cash were confiscated from the five vendors, as were three vehicles belonging Buy Gucci to them.

Among the seized items on that occasion were counterfeit Louis Vuitton, Prada, Kate Spade and Coach handbags; non-licensed baseball caps with NBA and NFL team logos; non-licensed Spider-Man apparel; as well as T-shirts and other apparel.

“There were a lot less vendors selling counterfeits this year than in past years, so maybe, finally they’re getting the idea,” said New Bedford Police Detective Gregory Sirois.

“The products this year were also not as good a quality as we’ve seen in the past,” Sirois said.

Sirois said that in tiffany necklace  addition to handbags and wallets, fake designer perfumes and shoes were seized, among other items, estimating the combined retail value of the items to be “thousands of dollars.”

The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition’s website says counterfeiting costs businesses, investors and consumers more than $600 million.

“It’s a crime,” Sirois said. “It’s widespread and costs industry and consumers millions of dollars a year.

“We don’t want it here and will do what we can to keep it out of here.”