New Britain Woman Admits Selling Phony Designer Merchandise: Feds

NEW BRITAIN, CT — A city woman on Monday pleaded guilty to participating in a multi-million dollar scheme to import and sell counterfeit designer clothing, purses and jewelry.

During a proceeding in U.S. District Court in Hartford, Melissa Cruz, 37, of New Britain, entered the guilty plea to conspiracy to willfully infringe a copyright.

Cruz faces up to one year in prison when she is sentenced March 12.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, between 2021 and 2024, Cruz conspired with others to sell counterfeit goods with phony trademarks.

Consumers around the country bought the merchandise, and prosecutors said Cruz and her co-conspirators made more than $4 million in gross sales through the scheme.

Prosecutors said Cruz conducted live shows via Facebook to showcase, advertise and sell the phony goods.

For a year, between March 2022 and March 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized packages containing counterfeit handbags originating from Thailand, China, and Hong Kong. All were addressed to Cruz’s residence in New Britain, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement conducted a raid of Cruz’s home in December 2024, and investigators seized about 2,000 counterfeit items, prosecutors said.