Rowlett police seize nearly $1M in counterfeit luxury items sold on Facebook Live

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Orlando Gonzalez Marcella  (Dallas County Jail)

ROWLETT, Texas - Rowlett police seized more than 62,000 counterfeit luxury items and arrested a man for allegedly selling the items on Facebook Live.

What we know:

Police said their investigation began in February after getting a tip about counterfeit merchandise being sold on Facebook Live in Rowlett.

The items represented brands like Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Coach, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada.

Then on Feb. 17, detectives with the Rowlett Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division and other agencies executed a warrant, seizing 62,694 suspected counterfeit items, $208,000 in cash, and one vehicle.

They also arrested Orlando Gonzalez Marcella on charges of trademark counterfeiting. 

An arrest warrant was issued for Aida Karina Lopez Alvarez, who is still at large.

What they're saying:

"Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime," said Rowlett Police Chief Michael Denning. "Operations like this deceive consumers, harm legitimate businesses, and often fund broader criminal activity. We are proud of the work our detectives and partner agencies did to shut this operation down."

By the numbers:

Police said the estimated street value of the items seized was nearly $1 million. If the items were authentic, they’d be worth more than $101 million.