Media

Deputies Raid Flea Market And Confiscate A Million Dollars Worth of Counterfeit Merchandise

Release Date: October 9, 2004

Almost 60 full-time and reserve Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 17 people at a South Memphis flea market today. The vendors were selling counterfeit designer clothes, pirated DVD movies and music albums.

For the past few weeks, undercover deputies with the Sheriff’s Office ALERT Squad have been documenting the illegal activity at the flea market. It operates on the parking lot of the old South West Drive-In on Highway 61 at Raines Road.

“With the raid today, our ALERT Squad continues to send a clear message to people who are involved in illegal business activity in Shelby County. Counterfeiting affects all aspects of the retail industry. We will continue to be aggressive in our investigation of these types of crimes,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

“ALERT” stands for Area Law Enforcement and Retailers Team. ALERT Squad deputies specialize in shoplifting, stolen property, pirated movies, music albums, counterfeited clothes and jewelry. The team is made up of almost 50 area retailers and law enforcement agencies. Investigators with the music and motion picture industry also serve with deputies on the specialized crime unit.

During the raid, the ALERT Squad confiscated hundreds of shirts, purses, watches, and other items with fake labels of companies like Gucci, Burberry, Coach, and Rolex. Deputies also recovered hundreds of bogus N.F.L. and N.B.A. jerseys and hats.

Illegally copied music albums and movies were also found at vendor booths. “Ladder 49” is a movie which is still currently showing at area theaters. It was among other DVD movies that have yet to be released for home viewing. The movies and other confiscated items had an estimated street value to be more than a million dollars.

After being at the flea market for almost nine hours today, deputies and support personnel had filled an entire tractor trailer with illegal merchandise. The 17 people arrested in the raid will be charged with Criminal Simulation, a felony.

The Sheriff’s Office ALERT Squad has arrested almost 70 people and confiscated more than two million dollars worth of stolen property and counterfeited items so far this year.