Counterfeiter Sold $495,000 of Fake Pandoras on eBay
December 27, 20
(IDEX Online) - A counterfeiter avoided a jail term in Britain, after he admitted selling fake Pandora jewelry worth $495,000 on eBay.
Usman Sadiq, 38, initially claimed all the goods were genuine, but later pleaded guilty to five trademark offences.
He was caught out when trading standards officers bought a $28 Disney charm from his eBay platform. They had it analyzed and determined it was counterfeit.
They later raided his home, in Rossendale, Lancashire, and found a large quantity of jewelry bearing the Pandora trademark, as well as branded packaging and wrapping. The offences took place over an 18-month period.
A judge at Preston Crown Court sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He described the crimes as "fraud against the public".
At an earlier court hearing a confiscation order for $175,000 was made against Sadiq.
Pic courtesy Lancashire County Council, shows some of the seized goods