Long Island clothes store owner caught with $40m of fake designer gear and iron-on labels
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A Long Island boutique owner carried out a $40 million counterfeit scam, in which she had Gucci, Chanel and Prada and other designer labels iron on cheaper garments — then pass them off as the real deal, prosecutors say.
Lindsay Castelli Bullock, owner of Linny’s Boutique in Plainview, was arrested Tuesday and the 31-year-old is now charged with second-degree counterfeiting.
The mother of four’s shop was robbed on Oct. 4.
There, Nassau County detectives are said to have found 22 printing press machines used to make the fake labels, which had been iron-sealed onto clothing.
Nearby were counterfeit items and jewelry that Bullock allegedly passed on as genuine Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior, Ugg, and Louis Vuitton.
“They took a hat here, a $3 hat or a 50 cent item on the side, and they would seal it on the hat and sell it for $300,” Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told me. News item.
Police said the combined value of the counterfeit clothing would have been $40 million had Bullock convinced its customers that it was genuine and sold it.
In addition to her sparse gray shop, Bullock is also said to have spearheaded the plan through a private Facebook group called Shop Linnys, which had 5,000 members.
Once approved to enter, potential buyers were bombarded with statuses that featured Bullock herself modeling what she claimed to be designer clothing, while encouraging them to buy it.
But Bullock’s antics also caught the attention of police, who began investigating her business in April 2021.
They enlisted United States postal inspectors to assist with the investigation, which likely involved the seizure of packages so that their contents were then reviewed to see if they were genuine.
After deciding that Bullock was a con artist, detectives began the raid.
Lindsay Bullock was arrested Friday in a $40 million counterfeit operation in Long Island, where she ‘sold fake Gucci, Chanel, Prada and other high-end labels through her boutique’
On December 16, 2020, Bullock will post information about its grand opening that generated 150 responses
The mother of four from Smithtown, New York, is now accused of counterfeiting second-degree trademarks. Bullock was released on a ticket for appearing from an agency and was due to appear in court in the First District Court in Hempstead on Nov. 2.
Bullock is pictured standing in what appears to be her storage room, while police say the clothes she sold were all counterfeit
On September 22, Bullock posted a photo of herself in ripped denim light-blue washed jeans and a gray-blue oversized button-up blouse and shared her latest update:
“Sit back, relax and shop with me while you sip a glass of wine,” she wrote.
“The new LIVE schedule is effective and starts on 09-25!” These are the benefits,” she continued.
On September 8, she posted a message telling her inner circle to download her app and register at “before midnight; and when they do, they receive a $25 store credit!
The post had a photo that read, “Follow the steps! Everyone is a winner.’
On December 16, 2020, Castille took to Facebook to share the grand opening of her boutique and also to share a personal message with her audience.
“Sometimes you just have to say everything and start over. Don’t worry about what everyone will say or think. Block the negativity and those who disbelieve.’
To a new beginning and new ventures.
Her post garnered 414 views and 150 comments.
During the search, detectives removed 22 printing press machines and several counterfeit items from Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior, Ugg and Louis Vuitton.
A photo of the boutique interior, located at 1032 Old Country Road in Plainview. During the raid, detectives discovered thousands of synthetic, heat-sealed counterfeit labels along with various clothing and jewelry, it is alleged.
Catelli often showcased the latest merchandise arriving at her Plainview boutique on her website and through her private group, Shop Linny’s, which had 5K members
Before getting caught up in her plan, Castelli had a closed group called Shop Linny’s that gathered up to 5.0K members. The only way to join this exclusive members-only group is to get access from an admin
A September 22 post (pictured) of Bullock in ripped denim light-blue washed jeans and a gray-blue oversized button-up blouse sharing her latest update. It would be her last update before she was arrested on October 4th
On August 9, Bullock posted some of her new arrivals, including high-fashion boots, shoes and sneakers. Police say they were all fakes
On her Facebook pages, Bullock writes “A Girl Should Be Two Things: Classy and Fabulous,” donning various outfits while showing off her fall arrivals.
Last year, when Bullock needed some extra help, she took to her social media to look for new hires: “Who likes clothes, is outgoing, wants extra money, fun to be around and knows how to have a good time.” have to have?! she wrote.
‘I’m hiring 5 of you to work part time! FLEXIBLE schedule, hourly rate plus commission, must be able to report to Plainview for your desired hours, work as much or as little as you’d like, but while you’re on the job, do it!,” said he.
‘Interested?! Leave a comment below and I’ll send you the details.’ No one else has been arrested as part of the investigation into Bullock’s alleged forgery.
News of Castelli’s false bust sent shockwaves through Plainview, Merrick, Dix Hills, Bethpage and other neighboring towns in Nassau County.
“I was surprised,” one woman who heard the news told DailyMail.com that she had been in the store about a month ago.
Some told DailyMail.com they remember when the store was under a different name. They also said they thought it was strange that all the items on the floor were on sale.
One woman said that when she stopped by the Plainview boutique a few weeks ago, “everything was on sale.”
She said that when she returned to the boutique with her daughter, the store was closed.
Castelli has been released on an agency appearance ticket and is due to appear in court in the First District Court in Hempstead on Nov. 2.