Illegal alien arrested on counterfeit charges
March 20, 2009

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What looked like too good a deal on pricey purses and wallets at a Springfield convenience store led to a federal counterfeiting charge against a man from India.



The man could face deportation because he is not in the United States legally.

Navin Chandra Patel, 38, remains in custody after his arrest on charges of trafficking counterfeit items while working as manager of the Star Mart at 3905 W. Chestnut Expressway, federal prosecutors said.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent seized 14 counterfeit purses and four counterfeit wallets at the store. During his arrest, Patel provided false identification to conceal that he was in the United States illegally, the U.S. attorney's office for western Missouri said.

What were described as Coach items were being sold for far less than the retail price for authentic items, U.S. attorney's spokesman Don Ledford said Thursday. Company representatives confirmed the purses and wallets in the convenience store were fakes, he said.

A relative of Patel's owns the store and was not involved in selling the merchandise, Ledford said.

Patel is not only charged with trafficking counterfeit goods, but could face charges related to his illegal status, Ledford said. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.


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