New Britain Woman Admits Importing and Selling Counterfeit Goods

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, announced that MELISSA CRUZ, 37, of New Britain, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to an offense stemming from her participation in a conspiracy to import and sell counterfeit goods.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2021 and 2024, Cruz conspired with others to sell counterfeit clothing, luxury and designer handbags and purses, and jewelry bearing counterfeit trademarks to customers across the U.S., some of which she imported from outside the U.S. She used Facebook to conduct live shows during which she showcased, advertised, and sold the counterfeit goods. In total, Cruz and her co-conspirators made more than $4 million in gross sales for the counterfeit merchandise through various electronic peer-to-peer payment services including CashApp, Paypal, and Venmo.

Between March 2022 and March 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized multiple international parcels containing dozens of counterfeit handbags from Thailand, China, and Hong Kong that were addressed to Cruz's residence in New Britain. On December 19, 2024, law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and seized nearly 2,000 units of counterfeit goods.

Cruz each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to willfully infringe a copyright, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year. She is released on her own recognizance pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 12.

This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.