Delaware County Businessman Sentenced For Selling Counterfeit Goods

Stephen Voudouris, Sr., 60, of Newtown Square, PA was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison and six months home detention pursuant to his prior guilty plea to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit goods, smuggling counterfeit goods into the United States and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. 

The defendant owned and operated Misikko.com, headquartered in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, an online retailer of luxury hair care appliances, including flat irons and blow dryers.  Misikko.com was not an authorized dealer of brands such as CHI, T3 and Babyliss.  As he admitted at his guilty plea, Voudouris, Sr. sought out Chinese manufacturing companies from which he and his employees could purchase cheap goods bearing counterfeit trademarks of CHI, T3 and Babyliss. Through Misikko.com, the defendant then resold the counterfeit goods as authentic, for top dollar, to the American public. 

In addition, at the direction of Voudouris, Sr., in a scheme to drive consumers to their website and maximize profits, Misikko.com also purported to sell "Breast Cancer Awareness" products.  The Misikko.com website was designed to make consumers believe that breast cancer charities would benefit from the purchase of certain pink products. For some products, Misikko.com represented that $25 from every purchase would benefit a prominent breast cancer foundation, but no donations were ever made to a breast cancer charity.

In addition to the prison sentence, the Honorable John R. Padova ordered the defendant to pay $150,346 in restitution to the victim companies and individuals, as well as a fine of $10,000.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alicia M. Freind and Mary E. Crawley.