A New York boutique owner has turned herself in after she was caught scamming customers out of their money by selling counterfeit clothes and other items.
During an 18-month-long investigation, authorities dug deep into 31-year-old Lindsay Castelli‘s boutique business, called Linny’s Boutique. They discovered Castelli made “thousands” of fake counterfeit labels and placed them on cheap clothing and then boosted the price.
“A simple $10 sweatshirt, you put the Chanel brand on it, it sells for $5,300,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “They would take a hat, a $3 hat, a 50-cent item on the side. They would heat seal it onto the hat and sell the hat for $300.”
Investigators say Castelli — whose boutique is located in Long Island — had more than $40 million in counterfeit items, Fox News reports. Police removed 22 printing press machines from her business during their search warrant of her shop. She sold a variety of fake products, including fake Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and more.
The investigation, which was launched in April 2021, has led to Castelli being charged with second-degree trademark counterfeiting. She’s now facing up to three years in prison.
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