Man Accused of Selling Fake Designer Items

Los Angeles police have charged a North Hollywood man with selling counterfeit versions of designer-label clothing, sunglasses, watches and leather handbags in connection with an investigation launched by several manufacturers into trademark knockoffs.

Jeffrey Hubbs, 36, is accused of selling items bearing the names Coach, Rolex, Calvin Klein, Guess, Polo, Nike, Armani, Cartier, Disney, Ray-Ban and other brands, the Los Angeles city attorney’s office said.

Police seized more than 6,000 bogus items worth more than $45,000 from Hubbs’ store in the Los Angeles garment district. If convicted, he could face up to 18 months in jail and more than $6,000 in fines. He is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 7 in Municipal Court.

Deputy City Atty. P. Greg Parham, who handled the case, said, “There was information indicating [Hubbs] was a supplier to many of the vendors” in the garment district.

Parham said unwitting buyers are attracted to knockoff products because the prices tend to be much lower than retail for original designs. A designer handbag that sells for $200 to $400 at department stores can be replicated and sold for about $70 to $120 on the street. Also popular are T-shirts emblazoned with Nike, No Fear and other logos, which normally sell for about $30, while the fake versions cost about $12, he said.

“As the demand for designer products increases, so does the opportunity for people selling knockoffs,” Parham said. “Not only are manufacturers losing money, but the buyers are generally getting poor-quality products.”

The case against Hubbs is one of several bogus-goods cases stemming from a probe by police and a private investigation firm retained by a consortium of brand-name manufacturers, he said.