New Britain Couple Who Imported and Sold Counterfeit Goods are Sentenced

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MELISSA CRUZ, 37, and JOSE RAMIREZ, 41, both of New Britain, were sentenced today in Hartford federal court for offenses stemming from their participation in a conspiracy to import and sell counterfeit goods. U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver sentenced Cruz to one year of probation and a $20,000 fine, and Ramirez to one year of probation and a $10,000 fine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2021 and 2024, Cruz and Ramirez conspired with others to sell counterfeit clothing, luxury and designer handbags and purses, and jewelry bearing counterfeit trademarks to customers across the U.S., some of which they imported from outside the U.S. Cruz and Ramirez used Facebook to conduct live shows during which Cruz showcased, advertised, and sold the counterfeit goods. In total, Cruz and Ramirez made more than $4 million in gross sales for the counterfeit merchandise through various electronic peer-to-peer payment services including CashApp, Paypal, and Venmo.

Between March 2022 and March 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized multiple international parcels containing dozens of counterfeit handbags from Thailand, China, and Hong Kong that were addressed to Cruz and Ramirez's residence in New Britain. On December 19, 2024, law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and seized nearly 2,000 units of counterfeit goods.

Judge Oliver ordered Cruz and Ramirez to pay restitution in the total amount of $10,711.25.

Cruz and Ramirez each previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to willfully infringe a copyright.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.