Jewelry Kiosk Owner Arrested For Allegedly Selling Fake Cartier Items
BOCA RATON (CBSMiami) – A jewelry kiosk owner in Boca Raton has been arrested for selling counterfeit Cartier jewelry.
The owner of the Silver Connection inside of Town Center Mall, Hina Singh, was arrested by Boca Raton detectives and was charged with the selling of counterfeit goods valued at over $20,000.
According to investigators, Singh,38, had been served a cease and desist order from Cartier to stop selling the jewelry in June of 2013.
However, an investigator from A Action Investigations and Security Inc. contacted Boca Raton Police about the kiosk continuing to sell Cartier trademarked jewelry.
After the cease and desist letter was given to the kiosk's owner last year, officials said the items were removed from the kiosk.
Later, investigators learned the items were being sold under the counter.
Two undercover investigators from A Action Investigations went to the Silver Connection and said they were able to purchase a Cartier Juste Un Clou nail bracelet, which was confirmed to be counterfeit.
Those investigators also snapped photos of several plastic bags which appeared to contain Cartier jewelry.
Officials said the Silver Connection sold the fraudulent bracelet for $84.53, but a real Cartier bracelet would have sold for $6,850.
On another day, investigators were able to purchase another Cartier Juste Un Clou nail bracelet for $69.00.
A search warrant was served the same day and the employee claimed anyone asking for Cartier needed to speak with Hina Singh and stated she saw Singh sell the items, but the employee claimed she had never sold the items.
However, according to investigators, she was unaware she sold a bracelet to an undercover officer.
Singh told detectives she owns the Silver Connection and another kiosk in the mall called Tressor.
Singh admitted to receiving a cease and desist letter from Cartier, but she continued to sell the counterfeit Cartier jewelry.
Singh reportedly showed detectives the boxes under the counter that contained the counterfeit Cartier jewelry.
If the jewelry were authentic, the estimated retail value of the seized Cartier jewelry would be more than $1,000,000.
