Jailed Ebay Fraudster Must Hand Over £35k
Following a joint investigation by Doncaster Trading Standards and Surelock, a trader who sold fake merchandise over the internet for pop acts including One Direction has been ordered by the courts to hand over nearly £35,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Adrian Lindley, from the Lindholme area of Doncaster, was jailed last year after admitting selling the fake merchandise on the Ebay auction site.
The 47-year-old, from Varsity Close, had been running a successful internet business selling items of clothing on the internet auction website.
It is understood that he was then persuaded by one of his suppliers to take on additional product lines, bearing the names of pop acts including boy bands One Direction and The Wanted.
A spokesman for Doncaster Council, which brought the prosecution against Lindley, said: “Unfortunately for him, the names of the artists and groups had been registered as trademarks, and the clothing bearing the names and logos of One Direction, JLS, Justin Bieber and The Wanted were not authorised by the trademark holder.
“An investigation by Doncaster Council’s trading standards team resulted in the seizure of more than 1,300 items of clothing, together with computer and business records.”
Lindley pleaded guilty to five charges under Section 92 of the Trademarks Act 1994 on September 21 2012, and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
However, he was brought back before Sheffield Crown Court last month, when a confiscation order for £34,680 was made against him by judge Roger Keen.
The council spokesman added: “This money is split between the Home Office, the Courts Service and Doncaster Council, where the money can be used to fund further investigations.”
Following the confiscation order being made, Ros Jones, mayor of Doncaster, said: “Zero tolerance on crime and anti-social behaviour is a top priority for Doncaster Council.
“We welcome this sentence and confiscation order which shows that crime does not pay.”
Earlier this week, a shop owner from Blackpool was spared jail after being found with around 500 fake goods.
Burnley Crown Court heard that Ying Fu Qi, 48, had counterfeit badges, pendants, key rings and phone charms in names such as Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, Betty Boop and Pandora, in his shop on Blackpool Promenade.
He told trading standards officers he bought the items back from China in a suitcase in 2011.
Qi, of Broughton Avenue in Layton, had admitted five trademark offences.
He was given 28 days in prison, suspended for six months, and now faces a proceeds of crime hearing next February.