Watch forger sentenced to four and a half years in prison in Paris
Published: Friday, Apr 5th 2024, 18:20
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A watch counterfeiter was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and a customs fine of 206 million euros in Paris on Friday. According to the court ruling, he had counterfeited the Swiss watch brands Rolex and Patek Philip, among others.
The watch forger is said to have counterfeited over 9000 watches. Some of these were sold via the Telegram channel "La Genèverie". The administrator of this channel was also sentenced to four years in prison and a customs fine of 200,000 euros.
From November 2019 to February 2022, the main activity of "La Genèverie" was the sale of counterfeit luxury jewelry, according to the ruling. The name was chosen in reference to the watchmaking city of Geneva. The services then became increasingly extensive: these included forged ID cards that were ready within 24 to 48 hours, boating licenses for 1,200 euros and access to police files.
50 offenses
In addition to the administrator of the channel and the watch forger, six other people were also tried. Two police officers were sentenced to one year and two years in prison without probation respectively, along with a permanent ban from their profession. Four other defendants, ID forgers or middlemen, received prison sentences of between six months and two years.
In total, the eight defendants were accused of around 50 criminal offences, including the sale of counterfeit goods, the import of smuggled counterfeits, money laundering, active bribery or aiding and abetting illegal residence as an organized gang.
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