North Strabane woman charged by township police with trademark counterfeiting
Counterfeit purses seized by police in North Strabane Township.
Clutch purses seized as part of a bust in North Strabane Township.
These sunglasses were among the counterfeit items confiscated by North Strabane Township police.
A North Strabane Township woman was charged by township police with trademark counterfeiting after an officer noticed she was selling suspected knockoff merchandise through social media.
The charge was filed Wednesday against Tina Marie Policano, 40, of 61 Abbeywood Lane, at the office of District Judge Jay Weller after police and investigators from the federal Department of Homeland Security made undercover purchases from her in June and later discovered she had counterfeit merchandise with an estimated value of $100,000.
Officer Gary Scherer said in February, he started noticing posts on a Facebook page for a Canonsburg yard sale with knockoff items like Michael Kors purses for sale.
“After monitoring it for a few months and seeing the large amount of merchandise being sold, I contacted Homeland Security because that agency monitors counterfeiting and customs violations,” Scherer said. “I messaged her on Facebook and made arrangements to make a purchase.”
Scherer, township Officer Ian Ging and two Homeland Security agents met with Policano in the parking lot of a Washington Road convenience store in the township. Scherer and Ging reportedly purchased a counterfeit Michael Kors purse from Policano June 22.
Later that day, police and agents obtained a warrant and searched Policano’s home. Scherer was able to determine the home was the setting for the photographs of the items posted on Facebook. More than 300 counterfeit items from Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Ray-Ban, North Face and Ugg brands were found in the home.
“She said she had been in New York City on a trip when she met a few people,” Scherer said. “Arrangements were made for large shipments of the items to be shipped in by UPS.”
“She had been selling the items for more than two years,” he added. “She also sold the items at purse parties.”
Scherer said that some of the buyers may have believed they were getting the real thing, but instead got counterfeits. If anyone believes they were defrauded, contact Scherer at 724-746-8474, ext. 262.
The charge will be sent by summons from Weller’s office after a date is set for a preliminary hearing. Scherer said that while he filed state charges, the federal government could still opt to charge her.