Broken Arrow Couple Charged With Selling Counterfeit Goods On Facebook Marketplace

A Broken Arrow couple is charged with selling counterfeit goods on Facebook Marketplace.

Investigators say these cases begin with a trade representative confirming the counterfeit goods. How similar the items are to the real ones could be the difference between a civil case and a felony.

Brittany Stephens and Paul Aaron are each charged with 3 felonies, including Violation of the Trademark Anti-Counterfeiting Act. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office says a search warrant in March led to the arrests this week.

Investigator Jamison Hirsch said he spotted the items on Facebook Marketplace. He said he ran them by an expert in Texas who confirmed the items were fake before the department seized more than 20 counterfeit items, including fake Louis Vuitton bags and other luxury name-brand items.

“They come from a variety of places. These items, I believe if I remember correctly, were coming from China directly,” said Hirsch.

An affidavit said the legitimate value for just 3 of the items is more than $8300 dollars. It said during shipping, the declared value for those three items was around $450, which investigators say led them to believe Aaron and Stephens were receiving counterfeit goods.

“State-wise importing of counterfeit goods is not of itself illegal, but distribution of it is. Depending on how many you're selling or the retail value that you're selling it for. It could be a misdemeanor. It could be a felony,” said Hirsch.

Hirsch urges those thinking of buying counterfeit products to think again because those goods don't just hurt luxury brands' bottom lines.

“These things are being made in less reputable factories all around the globe. You can expect poor working conditions, child labor, sweatshop-type situations,” said Hirsch.

He says it’s also linked to other organized crime.

“Oftentimes, a lot of the organizations that are creating these controlling the factories and even pushing them over our border could be cartel-related,” said Hirsch.

Aaron and Stephens are due to be arraigned on Wednesday.