Four Charged With Selling Counterfeit Luxury Goods

ST. CHARLES, Ill. (STMW) -- Four people, including one from Chicago and two from Elgin, were arrested for allegedly selling knock-off Coach, Tiffany, Gucci, Prada and other high-end merchandise at a west suburban flea market.

On Sunday, investigators representing Tiffany and Co., Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Dooney & Bourke contacted St. Charles police after purchasing various counterfeit items at the Kane County Flea Market, according to a release from police.

Undercover investigators went to the Kane County Fairgrounds at Randall Road and Route 38 in St. Charles about 2 p.m. and were sold numerous purses, bags, sunglasses and jewelry with trademarked logos that were known to be counterfeit, the release said.

Four suspects were taken into custody without incident and charged with violating the Counterfeit Trademark Act. Police also learned that additional counterfeit items were kept in a storage facility in an unincorporated area east of Elgin.

A total of about 5,000 counterfeit items were seized from the three booths and storage lockers, the release said.

On Monday, bond was set at $50,000 each for Armila Santarromana, 47, of the 300 block of Weymouth in Elgin; Roberto Santarromana, 49, of the 400 block of Freemont in Elgin; Ying Fu of the 1600 block of W. 35th St. in Chicago; and Jin Yue Qu of New York City, the release said.

Fu and the Santarromanas each posted $5,000 bail and were released. Qu is being held at the Kane County Correctional Facility for possible deportation after it was determined he was in the country illegally.

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