A San Francisco shop owner faces allegations that she sold fake designer goods, following an investigation by the San Francisco Police Department and Homeland Security.
According to a press release sent by the office of SF District Attorney George Gascon, 58-year-old Sarah Chong of El Sobrante owns and operates a store inside the San Francisco GiftCenter & JewelryMart, which describes itself as "Northern California’s leading wholesale jewelry emporium," with "showrooms...open to the trade only and service gift, jewelry, and apparel retailers."
Chong's store sold "Burberry, Dior, Coach, and Gucci items such as handbags, hats, scarves, belts, wallets, sunglasses, and jewelry," the DA's office says, which makes sense as the GiftCenter & JewelryMart proudly proclaims that "There's a lot more to the GiftCenter & JewelryMart than fine jewelry. You’ll also find scarves, sunglasses, handbags, and much more. We've got everything you need to enhance the look you want!"
Sadly, however, the look-enhancing designer items sold by Chong were counterfeit, the DA's office alleges, saying that "items seized from Chong's store had a street value of over $100,000, and would have had a retail value of over $2 million had they been authentic."
Following an operation by "SFPD Inspector Robert Steger in cooperation with Homeland Security Investigations," the DA's office says that "agents from the Department of Homeland Security and the San Francisco Police Department seized hundreds of counterfeit items from Chong's store."
Chong was arrested on July 5 for possessing counterfeit designer goods, and was arraigned Tuesday, when she entered a plea of not guilty to all charges. She's currently free on $15,000 bail, and is expected to return to court on September 29.
Previously: ICE Seizes Fake NFL Gear Ahead Of Super Bowl 50