Los Angeles Police Seize More Than $4 Million in Counterfeit Goods
The largest antipiracy raid in Los Angeles history occurred this month, according tolatimes.com.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 10 individuals and seized over $4 million worth of counterfeit goods. The raids began in November and ended on December 20. The raids were conducted by L.A.’s antipiracy task force. Dozens of officers from the LAPD, as well as investigators from private companies, were involved in the raids.
The counterfeit goods included CDs, DVDs of recently-released movies such as “Tron” and “The Tourist”, purses, sunglasses, and other goods. Much of the merchandise was seized from vendors and downtown flea markets. Gangs were said to be responsible for most of the piracy.
According to officials, counterfeit goods cost local area businesses over $5.2 billion each year in lost revenue, and $4.4 billion in lost wages. Since 2004, the LAPD’s antipiracy team has made 498 arrests and seized almost $100 million worth of illegal merchandise.
Counterfeiting is a serious crime. White collar crimes, such as counterfeiting and forgery, can be prosecuted by state or federal officials, or both. Penalties for such crimes usually include fines, restitution, and sometimes prison. Many individuals accused of a white collar crime are not aware of their legal rights, which may increase the chances of illegal search and seizure taking place as well as other rights violations.
If you are ever questioned in connection with a white collar crime, do not talk to officials or submit to any police questioning until you have talked with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf have been helping defendants navigate the criminal justice system for over 30 years. For a free consultation, call us today at (310) 277-1707. Our aggressive lawyers will defend your rights and help you obtain a successful case outcome.
