South Bay Woman Accused Of Trying To Sell $50K Of Counterfeit Cosmetics

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – A San Jose woman faces a maximum of three years in prison and a $500,000 fine if she is found guilty of trying to sell counterfeit goods, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday.

The woman was taken into custody Monday on suspicion of trying to sell more than $50,000 worth of counterfeit cosmetics imported from Asia.

A search of the woman's home turned up what Homeland Security Investigations special agents allege were counterfeit lipsticks, eyelash adhesive, hair styling products, powder compacts, eye liner and eye shadow.

The agents also found electronic curlers and straighteners, customs officials said.

A Homeland Security spokesperson said details on the arrested woman, such as her name and age, will not be released as the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case.

HSI began its investigation after becoming aware of multiple shipments from a known counterfeit exporter in Asia, officials said.

The problem with counterfeit cosmetics is that they can pose serious health risks to consumers because they have been found to contain hazardous substances such as cyanide, arsenic, mercury, lead, urine and rat
droppings.

Sometimes the people making counterfeit cosmetics are making them with whatever they can get their hands on, custom's spokesman James Schwab said.

It's rare to find cyanide or arsenic in counterfeit cosmetics but it is serious, Schwab said.

"It's going to cause some pretty nasty reactions on their skin," he said.

Those and other substances could cause long-term health problems. "Those who conduct the illegal import and sale of these items are doing so with complete disregard for public safety," Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge Ryan Spradlin said in a statement.

Homeland Security Investigations and Customs agents seized an estimated $1.4 billion of counterfeit goods last fiscal year.

Officials with the Intellectual AntiCounterfeiting Coalition estimate that intellectual property crime costs businesses nationwide hundreds of billions dollars a year in lost revenue.

Anyone with information about the sale of counterfeit cosmetics can submit a tip on the Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center's website at IPRCenter.gov. Tips can also be made at (866) DHS-2-ICE.

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--Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via ICE