2 Sonoma County women arrested in scheme to smuggle counterfeit handbags
ROHNERT PARK – Authorities in the North Bay have arrested two women and have seized hundreds of counterfeit handbags as part of a scheme to smuggle the merchandise into the U.S. and sell the items locally.
According to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, officers served warrants on the 500 block of Santa Alicia Drive in Rohnert Park and the 100 block of Hahn Way in Cotati on Friday.
Officers said they located a total of 270 illegally trademarked pieces of merchandise, which included designer brands Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Christian Dior and MGM.
A police spokesperson told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat newspaper that the goods are based on real handbags that would have been worth $1 million.
The suspects, identified as 35-year-old Melanie Strong of Rohnert Park and 41-year-old Sabrina Darakhshan of Cotati, were arrested without incident. The pair were booked into the Sonoma County Main Adult Detention Facility on felony charges of trademark infringement and counterfeit goods, along with criminal conspiracy.
The Department of Public Safety said counterfeit products cost the global economy more than $500 billion each year.
"It is important for consumers to realize counterfeit merchandise has poor craftsmanship and does not comply with safety standards, which can be harmful and pose a health risk," the department said in a statement.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the department's COPS team at 707-584-2600, referring to report no. 23-1889.