Fugitive Held in Alleged Hair-Products Scam
A fugitive wanted in connection with an alleged scam to produce and sell $1 million worth of counterfeit John Paul Mitchell hair-care products was arrested Monday by federal agents, authorities said.
Joseph Frederick Thompson, 33, was taken into custody as he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, according to FBI spokeswoman Cheryl Mimura.
Thompson is accused of conspiring with accomplices to sell the popular hair-care products in 1996 and 1997, Mimura said. Federal authorities were pursuing Thompson, who fled the country in early 1997. As many as 60,000 bottles passed as products from the Saugus-based John Paul Mitchell Systems were produced, authorities said.
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