St. Charles Police Nab Four for Selling Counterfeit Purses and Accessories at Flea Market

Four people were arrested during the weekend for allegedly selling knockoff purses, bags, sunglasses and jewelry at the Kane County Flea Market at the Kane County Fairgrounds.

Armila Santarromana and Roberto Santarromana of Elgin, Ying Fu of Chicago and Jin Yue Qu of New York each are charged with one count of violating the Counterfeit Trademark Act, according to information released by the St. Charles Police Department Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, representatives from Tiffany and Co., Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Dooney & Bourke—which are high-end designer clothing, accessories and jewelry companies—contacted St. Charles police after purchases of counterfeit items were made at the market.

St. Charles officers visited the market Sunday afternoon and made contact with the four people at three booths, according to police. Many of the items allegedly known to be counterfeit were on display. All four were taken into custody without incident. 

Officers also discovered an additional storage facility in Elgin allegedly used by one or more of the suspects, according to police. About 5,000 items were recovered at the booths and storage lockers.

During the booking process, police discovered that Jin Yue Qu was not in the country legally. According to authorities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was contacted and officials requested that Jin Yue Qu be held for possible deportation.

On Monday, all four appeared in bond court, with bail set at $50,000. Three of the suspects posted $5,000 bond. Jin Yue Qu remains in Kane County jail.