WESTBOROUGH, MA — A man from New York was arraigned Monday in Westborough District Court after being accused of scamming someone out of thousands of dollars and possessing suspected counterfeit Apple and Rolex products.
Alexandru Ilie was charged with distributing a counterfeit mark and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and also received a citation for a child passenger restraint violation. The 42-year-old from Whitestone, NY, was wanted in connection with a fraud investigation.
A Southborough officer was on patrol on Turnpike Road when he learned the vehicle traveling in front of him was wanted by Newton police in connection with the fraud investigation.
Police stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Ilie, who was carrying a suspended license. He was taken into custody without incident, according to police.
Inside the car, officers saw a child lying across the back seat without a seat belt, according to police.
Newton police told the officer that Ilie was also wanted after being accused of scamming a resident out of $2,500.
Inside the vehicle, detectives found a bag containing 11 AirPods Pro boxes, six Apple Watch Ultra 3 boxes and a Rolex GMT-Master II. The Apple products were sealed and packaged as if they were brand new, but investigators found that most of the products shared the same serial number and barcode, police said.
"This arrest demonstrates the value of proactive patrol work and officers taking the time to fully investigate what they encounter," said Chief Ryan Newell. "Officer Samarxhi recognized a vehicle connected to an outside investigation and worked with the Newton Police Department to develop the full picture. His attentiveness led to an arrest and the recovery of suspected counterfeit merchandise."
Ilie was arraigned Monday in Westborough District Court, and the incident remains under investigation.
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