PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach police arrested a 51-year-old woman Thursday following an undercover investigation into two stores where they said counterfeit clothing and jewelry was sold.
Olena Austin is charged with one count of selling or offering for sale counterfeit goods or services of more than $20,000.
According to the arrest affidavit, the city's Organized Crime, Vice and Narcotics Unit began investigating Blesk Jewelry in the fall of 2023 after receiving information from the FBI.
Blesk Jewelry has two Palm Beach locations — one located at 313 Worth Ave. Suite B and the other at 350 S County Rd. Suite 103.
Both locations were closed Friday when WPTV visited during what were listed as the operating hours.
The affidavit said detectives found knock-offs of items from designers including Chanel, Pucci and Van Cleef & Arpel.
Investigators said it is estimated that the total value of the seized counterfeit merchandise was more than $2 million if it was real. Additionally, about $4,294 was seized as proceeds from the sale of the goods.
"We have to go through the authentication process with all the brands to you know, more fully authenticate exactly the values on the counterfeit items," Capt. Will Rothrock said. "That might bring additional charges later."
A business called "A Action Investigations & Security Inc." is listed as the victim on the affidavit, serving as a brand representative for the designer bands. A man answering the phone for the company told WPTV reporter Jamie Ostroff, "We don't talk to media," and hung up.
A Palm Beach County judge set Austin's bond at $50,000 Friday morning. Online jail records show she was released from custody at 12:51 p.m. Friday. Court records do not list an attorney representing Austin, who lives in Hypoluxo.
'When they're selling these items at such a reduced value, they're taking away from legitimate purchases for small businesses," Rothrock said. "Innocent tourists might be buying something that they believe is a certain item and a certain value. And they may not find out until years later, unexpectedly, that it was counterfeit and not worth what they think it is."
Law enforcement believes she owns the stores with her husband.
