Gloucester man sentenced for selling counterfeit clothes
36-year-old Craig Gardner was selling fake clothes on Facebook
A man from Gloucester has admitted selling counterfeit goods on Facebook using a fake name.
Craig Gardener, 36, of Kingsway, was charged with four offences relating to the supply of counterfeit goods.
He first came to the attention of Gloucestershire County Council trading standards officers in 2016 when he was prosecuted for 15 counterfeiting offences and given an eight week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Despite the conviction, Gardner continued to trade counterfeit clothing and footwear through Facebook under the name 'Tommy Tees'.
An investigation was carried out and warrants were executed on premises in Kingsway, resulting in the seizure of a small number of counterfeit items including North Face branded jackets, Moncler branded tracksuits, Polo Ralph Lauren branded tracksuits and Nike branded tracksuits.
Officers also found a number of discarded boxes in Gardner’s house and garden, which led officers to believe a larger quantity of clothing had passed through his hands.
Gardner was found guilty of the four offences when he appeared before Cheltenham magistrates on Wednesday 10 February 2021.
He's been given a community order for 12 months, with a requirement to complete 60 hours unpaid work.
Gardner was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge and a contribution to costs of £800.
Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for trading standards, said:
“I would like to thank our officers for their hard work in carrying out this investigation. The sale of counterfeit goods takes money away from legitimate local businesses and can leave consumers with inferior goods.
“This conviction sends out a message that repeat offenders will not get away it. I would urge anyone with information about the sale of counterfeit goods to contact our trading standards team via the Consumer Advice Service on 03454 04 05 06 or email tradingstandards@gloucestershire.gov.uk.”