Miami store owner’s $1M fake cigar label scheme goes up in smoke, cops say

MIAMI – The El Baratón storefront in Miami’s Flagami community has huge indicators promoting perfumes, watches, handbags, sneakers and garments on the market; its brand options the “shush” emoji.

What’s now not a secret, police say, is that numerous the products offered at El Baratón have been stolen from house shops — and, in the again room, its proprietor used to be additionally concerned in a million-dollar scheme to promote counterfeit cigar labels and bins.

Miami-Dade police arrested Jorge Gomero, 52, on a chain of prison fees Monday.

Detective Andre Martin, a Miami-Dade police spokesperson, mentioned in a news free up that Gomero used to be amongst “a group of individuals who have been stealing ‘over the counter’ health and beauty supplies as well as clothing from major retailers.”

Detectives noticed participants of the crowd bringing in “garbage bags full of stolen merchandise” to the industry, situated at 4746 W. Flagler St., the place Gomero would resell the pieces.

Police mentioned after executing a seek warrant, they discovered greater than $28,000 price of fenced pieces being offered El Baratón — which kind of interprets to “the cheapest” in Spanish — for smartly below retail.

They then discovered “4,499 counterfeit cigar boxes and several thousand counterfeit cigar labels,” valued at $1,124,750, Martin mentioned.

Brands integrated Romeo Y Julieta, H. Upmann, Monte Cristo, Cohiba, Cao, Bolivar, El Rey del Mundo, La Gloria Cubana, Macanudo, Punch, Partagas and Sancho Panza.

Gomero, police mentioned, “was taking orders for these boxes and labels from individuals who then intended on utilizing them to sell counterfeit cigars as authentic products.”

Authorities arrested Gomero on 4 counts of dealing in stolen assets and one depend every of third-degree grand robbery, promoting, buying or possessing $20,000 or extra in counterfeit labels and forging or counterfeiting personal labels.

According to prison information, he used to be being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $22,500 bond. If he posts bond, he’ll need to turn out that the finances got here from a sound supply.