Manuel DeJesus Beltran-Machado, 43, the owner of two Las Villas Jewelry stores in the Miami area, was arrested last week for allegedly selling counterfeit luxury items, according to local news sources.
The news stories quoted a Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office arrest report that said detectives found a total of 262 counterfeit jewelry items at Beltran-Machado’s stores, located in Miami and nearby Hialeah. If genuine, the items would have been worth nearly $2 million.
Authorities said the stores carried counterfeit versions of Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Prada, and Rolex pieces.
The local sheriff’s office reportedly started looking at the business after a brand investigator made purchases there and found they were counterfeits.
In one case, a sheriff’s deputy subsequently purchased an alleged counterfeit Louis Vuitton ring and pair of Van Cleef & Arpels earrings at Las Villas. The officer paid $350 for the jewelry, which would be worth $5,700 if real.
Beltran-Machado could not be reached for comment. He has been released on bond.
A manager at one his stores declined comment to the local NBC station.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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