PRESS RELEASE
March 10, 2008
Lexington, Ky. —A Lexington couple was sentenced today and ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Joseph M. Hood for selling counterfeit merchandise in the Fayette County Mall and at the Ashland Town Center.
Jane Y. Lau, 44 was sentenced to a year and a day while her husband Paul Lau, 52, received eight months, four of which will be spent on house arrest. The couple pleaded guilty on July 9th, 2007 and admitted that from October 1, 2004 until December 8, 2004 they counterfeited marks that were substantially indistinguishable from genuine marks for 12 brand names such as: Christian Dior, Rolex, Gucci, Coach, Luis Vuitton among others. The couple intended to use these false marks to sell purses, scarves, wallets, watches, bracelets, necklaces and other items to consumers. The Lau’s were selling these items at two Keas stores in the Fayette Mall and out of a store called Fashion Trends in the Ashland Town Center. Law enforcement discovered these items at the Lau’s residence during a search in 2004.
Under federal law, the Laus must served 85 percent of their sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 3 years.
James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Paul Chambers, Resident Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from Lexington Police. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney David A. Marye.