May 15, 2007

Avondale man sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for trafficking in counterfeit goods following ICE investigation

NEW ORLEANS - A 39-year-old Avondale man was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking in counterfeit goods following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation.

Charles Temple pleaded guilty on Jan. 26, 2007 to illegally trafficking in goods bearing the counterfeit trademarks of Chanel, Lacoste, Nike, Red Monkey, Rocawear, Coach, Dooney & Burke, Gucci, Prada and others. The goods, which were valued between $70,000 and $120,000, were being sold at 24/7 Fashion and Street Dream Apparel, both owned by Temple and located at 2209 Lapalco Boulevard in Harvey, Louisiana.

"The creation, smuggling and sale of counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime," said Michael A. Holt, special agent-in-charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in New Orleans. "Products that are produced illegally do harm to trademark holders, may be smuggled into the country and distributed by organized crime groups and sold to the detriment of local businesses and communities who derive no financial gain from the illegal sales. ICE is committed to an aggressive approach toward enforcing the nation’s intellectual property rights laws."

Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana said,  "The apparel industry is important to our economy and to many Americans whose livelihoods depend on it. That industry is increasingly threatened by counterfeiters who sell fake trademarked goods to sometimes unwitting consumers."

Holt thanked the FBI, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their assistance.

In fiscal year 2006, ICE special agents and CBP officers together made 14,675 seizures of counterfeit goods worth more than $155 million, which represents a 67 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. In FY 2006, ICE investigations resulted in 219 arrests, 134 indictments and 170 convictions in intellectual property rights violations.

Tuesday’s sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Toomey.

-- ICE --