Thousands of fake luxury handbags, clothing found at East TN home, business, sheriff says
If the items had not been fake, the sheriff’s office said they would have retailed for $1.2 million.
MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said it helped with a yearslong investigation that led to thousands of fake luxury items being found at a distribution center in Madisonville and a home in Hamilton County.
Sheriff Tommy Jones said MCSO’s Criminal Investigation Division was asked by private investigators contracted by several high-end clothing and accessory brands, including Louis Vuitton, Prada and Coach, to investigate fraudulent sales of counterfeit merchandise back in late October to early November.
According to Jones, the investigation company had been tracking The Luxe Closet, an online retailer advertising and selling luxury-branded purses, clothing and other accessories, in November 2023. It was found during the investigation that the business had moved its distribution operations to Madisonville from Hamilton County earlier this year.
Investigators then made several online purchases and picked them up directly from the distribution center, where they were determined to be fake.
Jones said investigators executed a search warrant at the distribution center in Madisonville and the owner’s home in Hamilton County. In total, they found more than 3,000 counterfeit handbags, clothing, jewelry, watches shoes and other accessories. If the items had not been fake, they would have retailed for $1.2 million.
Additionally, investigators seized a portable building used to store the inventory and a car used to deliver and relocate merchandise from Hamilton County to Madisonville to be sold. They also found fake leather spray used to make the items smell and appear more realistic before being shipped to customers.
Jones said evidence suggests the items came from outside of the United States, adding that investigators are still looking into where they came from.
“Our deputies and investigators take these matters very seriously. When we are contacted about criminal activity within Monroe County, we act swiftly and responsibly,” Jones said. “This case is an example of how teamwork between private investigators, local agencies, and our office can shut down an operation that was profiting off deception.”
Jones said the sheriff’s office wants to emphasize that while it’s not illegal to possess counterfeit items, it is illegal to sell or possess one with the intent to sell.
Charges are pending as the investigation continues, Jones said.
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