Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office ALERT (Area Law Enforcement Retailers Team) Squad arrested two vendors at an area trade show for selling counterfeit merchandise worth more than $100,000.

Billy Lin Umer Khan

A tip led ALERT Squad Deputies to the show at the Memphis Fairgrounds late Friday afternoon. They watched the two vendors sell the items to unsuspecting customers.

“We focus on these crimes because of the economic impact it has on our community. Legitimate business operators lose thousands of dollars as a result of these counterfeit items. We will continue to use our ALERT Squad investigators to curb this type of criminal activity in Shelby County,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

Billy Lin, 48, of Stafford, Texas, was arrested for selling counterfeit Gucci, Coach, LV and Channel purses which could have generated a street value of almost $60,000. Deputies say Lin knowingly purchased the fake purses off an eBay site and sold the items at trade shows across the country.

ALERT - Purses ALERT - Shoes

Investigators confiscated 117 purses that were on display and stored in Lin’s 2006 Chevy 3500 van. Deputies seized the van and $212 in cash.

Umer Khan, 58, of McKinney, Texas, was also arrested for selling counterfeit shoes. ALERT Squad Deputies discovered 350 pairs of NIKE shoes and 29 pairs of BAPE shoes which have a street value of almost $41,000. Deputies also seized $589 in cash from Khan’s cash drawer at his sales booth.

Both Khan and Lin were charged with Criminal Simulation over $10,000, which is a Felony.

The trade show is not affiliated with the Memphis Flea Market, a regular event held at the Memphis Fairgrounds.