According to police, a man who owned two luxury boutiques in the upscale Palm Beach area of Florida and was a friend of former President Donald Trump has been arrested on suspicion of selling $2 million worth of counterfeit goods.
Olena Austin, 51, was charged with selling counterfeit clothing and jewelry at two of her Bresque Jewelry stores in the city, leading to both stores being closed. WPTV-TV News reported. Earlier this month.
Police said the stores sold Fugazi counterfeits of top designer brands, including Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Rolex, Versace, Pucci, Bottega Veneta and Van Cleef & Arpels, and told customers they were the real deal.
“We have to go through all the branding and authentication procedures to more accurately ascertain the value of the counterfeit,” Will Rothrock of Palm Beach Caps told WPTV, “and there may be additional fees later.”
“An innocent tourist might buy something, believing it to be a certain item and have a certain value,” Rothrock says, “and then, years later, unexpectedly discover that it was a fake and not as valuable as they thought it was.”
He said the counterfeit goods could also have an impact on other shops in the area that keep prices low.
The affidavit, reviewed by the news organization, lists a company called “A Action Investigations & Security, Inc.” as a victim of the scam, but a spokesperson declined to comment.
Olena was arrested at one of the stores on June 7 and has since been released on $50,000 bail.
