According to the Department of the North Carolina Secretary of State, local authorities and the Counterfeit Taskforce apprehended and charged 44-year-old Derris Levar Batiste after trying to sell over $200,000 worth of counterfeit shoes. Deputies discovered over 900 pairs of fake Nike shoes, 86 pairs of Adidas shoes, 36 pairs of Timberlands, and 11 pairs of Louis Vuitton shoes.
After further investigation, police charged Derris with seven different felonies: criminal use of a counterfeit trademark, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, trafficking opium or heroin, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a schedule II controlled substance, and maintaining a building used for keeping or selling a controlled substance.
These shoes can vary from $20 to $1,000 depending on factors like color, type of shoe, and how rare different shoes are. For example, the LV Trainer Maxi Sneaker, a rare and valuable shoe, goes for $6,150.
The creator of the Counterfeit Taskforce, Elaine Marshall, said about the case, “Not only are consumers getting inferior quality goods when they buy counterfeits, they’re supporting criminals who harm honest manufacturers and merchants…We don’t want consumers to get taken during this season of giving by buying counterfeit products.”
No further information has been released at this time.