MIAMI – More than $1 million worth of counterfeit merchandise was seized from a Miami store Wednesday.
Agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection raided Willy Jhons jewelry shop, 2115 NW 20th St.
Investigators hauled out multiple boxes of items they believe were fake knock-offs of high-end designer goods.
"People think they're getting something legitimate, but they're not," Homeland Security spokesman Nestor Yglesias said. "They're not getting what they paid for. When you have specific brand names that have copyrights and trademarks, and people are counterfeiting that trademark and design or that color or that image and they're selling it, they're committing a violation."
Glittering gold necklaces, designer watches and fancy rings were all seized. In fact, all of the items confiscated were described as jewelry.
A tip led investigators to the store, where they isolated the fake items that were allegedly being sold for about a third of what its high-end namesake would cost.
Employees of the store declined to speak to Local 10 News.
Charges are pending. No arrests were made.
The store was allowed to reopen as everything inside was not considered to be fake.
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