Legal News

A churchwarden and his wife have been prosecuted after pleading guilty to charges relating to selling counterfeit BMW merchandise worth millions of pounds.

Stephen Anderson, 49, and his wife Elizabeth Anderson, from Ballymena in Northern Ireland made more than £1 million selling fake BMW goods via online auction site eBay.

The investigation found that the goods – including tyre valve caps, car stickers and BMW cuff links – were imported regularly from South East Asia via post offices in the East Midlands and Coventry.

The court heard that the profits from the counterfeit goods helped fund a glamorous lifestyle, with two luxury sports cars and large quantities of designer clothing being seized by police under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

Prosecutors have also requested a confiscation of the couple’s assets, which have an estimated value of more than £1 million.

The couple have been sentenced to a total of two years in jail for the crime.

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) – working closely with BMW – began a covert financial investigation in 2013, which revealed that the churchwarden and his wife were making more than £40,000 a month.

Minister for Intellectual Property, Baroness Neville Rolfe, said:

“This is yet another example of the effectiveness of intelligence sharing – the partnership between government, law enforcement and the private sector is vital in the fight against criminal counterfeit traders.

“The sale of fake goods online is a challenging area to police, so I am very pleased to see how impactful the financial investigation by the IPO’s Intelligence Hub has been.

“The government is committed to helping legitimate businesses and police forces stamp out illicit trade whenever and wherever it appears.”

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Gillis of Police Service Northern Ireland’s Reactive and Organised Crime unit added:

“The market for car products linked to prestige brands is substantial – those who seek to subvert this market by making and selling counterfeit products are putting jobs at risk and reducing legitimate profits.

“They are also taking money out of the legitimate economy and its tax revenues which pay for public services.

“We remain committed to working with industry to ensure that producers, workers and the public are protected from fraudsters.

“I would urge anyone with information about the manufacture, distribution or sale of any counterfeit products to contact police.”

Duncan Lewis Criminal Lawyers

Duncan Lewis criminal lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving counterfeit goods or misrepresentation in England and Wales – including illegal cigarettes or alcohol, counterfeit DVDs or CDs and unlicensed medications.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide – and more than 20 offices across London and the southeast.
Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of Legal Aid criminal defence lawyers and can also advise on Confiscation Orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
For expert legal advice on all criminal charges involving counterfeit goods, call Duncan Lewis crime solicitors on 0333 772 0409.
For 24/7 help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis Solicitors 24-Hour Emergency Helpline on 0333 772 0607.