Fake Prada, Chanel, Gucci products among $40M in counterfeit items seized

NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. — A Long Island woman is facing charges after police say they seized tens of millions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit items from her store.

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The Nassau County Police Department said in a news release that it had arrested Lindsay Castelli on charges of trademark counterfeiting. Police said that during a search of Castelli’s store, Linny’s Boutique, detectives found 22 printing press machines and counterfeit items labeled as being by Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior, Ugg and Louis Vuitton. Detectives said in all the total value of the items seized was over $40 million.

Investigators said they began their investigation into Castelli’s business in April 2021, and found that she was running an operation where she would take inexpensive clothes from China and put fake designer labels on them, WNBC reported. Police said that in one case, a $10 sweatshirt was sold for $5,000.

“They would take a hat, a $3 hat, a 50-cent item on the site. They would heat seal it onto the hat and sell (the) hat for $300,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a Tuesday news conference, WNYW reported.

United States Postal Service inspectors partnered with the Nassau County Police Department during the investigation, which involved a number of undercover buys, WNYW reported.

Police said in the news release that their investigation revealed the items being made at the shop were being shipped all over the United States.

Castelli was charged with second-degree trademark counterfeiting and was released on a desk appearance ticket. She is due back in court on Nov. 2.

Castelli’s store was closed on Tuesday, WNBC reported.

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