2 Arrested From Alleged Counterfeit Clothing Ring in Westminster

Authorities arrested two Westminster men after discovering what they said is a large counterfeit clothing operation producing knock-off versions of DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Nike and Tommy Hilfiger outfits.

Officials confiscated thousands of labels, jeans and T-shirts with an estimated open-market value of $5 million, according to Mike Clesceri, manager of the Orange County Regional Gang Enforcement Team.

The operation “is definitely a big money maker,” Clesceri added. “It is clothing that can be sold as if it were original product at a swap meet or to legitimate stores and passed off as the real thing.”

Members of the gang unit also recovered counterfeit cigarette tax stamps and evidence of a book-making operation in which bets were taken for sporting events, he added.

Hieu Vinh “Anthony” Hoangthan, 43, and Phuoc Da, 30, were taken into custody Wednesday and are scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 1. They each face charges of bookmaking, forgery, grand theft, possession of counterfeit trademark items for sale and numerous felony tax code violations.

The counterfeit operation was allegedly run out of three Westminster homes that officials said doubled as warehouses for clothing. The homes as well as a storage facility were searched by members of the Regional Gang Enforcement Team.

Clesceri said the team had received numerous complaints about such counterfeit clothing operations. This was the first action by the team, which was formed one year ago to focus on financially motivated gangs.

“There is a lot of this going on in Orange County. This type of business is very lucrative,” he said. “There’s obviously a market for this in Orange County and $5 million worth is a huge chunk of money.”

Clesceri said that unlike street gangs that are motivated by turf battles, “financially motivated gangs” focus on making money from various illegal operations.