Middlesex County Family Sentenced For Roles In Fake Make-Up Scheme

Three Middlesex County residents have been sentenced in connection with a high-end cosmetics counterfeiting scheme, authorities said.

The Edison family - a 51-year-old man, his ex-wife and their daughter - had been charged with participating in an international ring that netted hundreds of thousands of dollars from counterfeit, designer cosmetics that were sold online and to retailers, according to a news release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The family imported hundreds of pounds of fake make-up from China, then sold the items as Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC), a high-end brand, which is part of the Estee Lauder Companies, the news release said.

“Counterfeit cosmetics are a public health concern, as unwitting victims are applying potentially toxic substances to their faces and bodies,” Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said in a prepared statement.

He also noted that “counterfeiting poses a significant drain on the local and national economies.”

The family members were sentenced Monday by state Superior Court Judge Michael A. Toto, sitting in New Brunswick. The three defendants had entered guilty pleas on Jan. 2.

According to the news release:

Jorge Robles, 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree counterfeiting, while his ex-wife and the couple’s daughter both pleaded guilty to third-degree counterfeiting.

Robles was sentenced to serve five years in a state prison.

His ex-wife, Ana Del LaMota, 45, was placed on probation for three years. She will also have to pay restitution, but the amount has not yet been determined.

Their daughter, Rossy Robles, 23, was admitted into the pre-trial intervention program. She will serve a three-year term under PTI, and must remain offense-free and gainfully employed.

The family members were arrested on Dec. 22, after an investigation, dubbed Operation Big MAC, that spanned several years.

It was handled by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Inspector and the New Jersey Department of Treasury.

Investigators determined the family, had help from other, unidentified individuals, importing the counterfeit cosmetics from China.

They sold the counterfeit cosmetics to New York retailers and through an online retailer under the business name, Baby Castle.

When they were taken into custody, police found 2,000 counterfeit items, as well as $22,000 in cash.

Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutors Russell Curley and Tzvi Dolinger handled the state’s case.

In the news release, Carey also singled out individuals investigators for their extensive work on the case, including Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Michael Daniewicz and Detective Linda Infusino; Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Andrew McLees, Supervisory Special Agent Sophia Ciaccio, Special Agent Brad Greenberg and Criminal Research Specialist Michelle Delahanty.

Carey also credited U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Maria Kelokates, who received help from U.S. Postal Inspector Brian Macdonald, and New Jersey Department of Treasury/Office of Criminal Investigation personnel, including Special Agent in Charge Charles Giblin, Supervising Criminal Forensic Auditor Debra Lewaine, and Auditor Kevin Curry.