Posted by Don Don Breier - eWristwatch on January 30, 2002 - 07:30PM cet - IP :
Email : don@ewristwatch.net

Further information is available through United States Attorney
J. Strom Thurmond, Jr. in Columbia, South Carolina.

Mark Dipadova, Rufus Jones, Dawn Jones and Robert Garza, were sentenced in November, 2001, December, 2001 & January, 2002 by the federal courts in Columbia, South Carolina -

Mark Dipadova was sentenced for Trafficking in counterfeit
luxury items, counterfeit items of Rolex and Cartier watches,
this is a violation of Title 18, US Code, Section 2320.
Dipadova was sentenced by Senior US District Judge Matthew J.
Perry. His sentence was 24 months in federal prison, to be
followed by three years of supervised release. Dipadova was
also ordered to pay a total of $138,264 in restitution to the
owners of the trademarks that he infringed upon to offset the
expenses they incurred in attempting to investigate and stop
Dipadova’s illegal activity. Dipadova ran the Internet site
FakeGifts.com.

Rufus Todd Jones was sentenced in the US District Court
by Judge Joseph F. Bataillon for trafficking in counterfeit
Rolex watches over the Internet. His sentenced to 36 months in
prison. Jones was also ordered to pay restitution of $116,779
and a special assessment of $100.

Dawn Jones, the wife of Rufus Jones, was sentenced in November,
2001 for her involvement in the conspiracy to a sentence of 5
years probation and was ordered to pay restitution of
$116,779.

Robert Garza was sentenced in the US District Court by Judge
Joseph F. Bataillon for trafficking in counterfeit watches over
the Internet. Garza was sentenced to five years probation, 150
hours of community service and ordered to pay restitution of
$35,000 and a special assessment of $100.

Look forward to more arrests during 2002 and the future!

BEWARE to the Internet trading websites, watch shows and
other operations that allow trafficking in counterfeit watches!

Don