A bogus designer goods salesman was jailed for 15 months after his bedroom wardrobe was found stuffed with luxury watches, sunglasses, clothing and aftershave that would have been worth more than £650,000 if they hadn't been Chinese counterfeits.
Conroy Lindsay, dubbed "Scotland's King of Bling", was caught after Falkirk Council trading standards officers investigated a trader on Gumtree advertising himself as The Watch Seller. A test purchase revealed it was Lindsay, and his home was raided.
In Lindsay's bedroom cupboard, officers found 39 Rolex watches that would have been worth £15,400 each if they'd been real, which Lindsay was selling on Gumtree and Facebook for £140 each.
Many of the Rolexes were "boxed". Watch parts and watchmakers' tools were also found.
Also stuffed in the closet were two "Daniel Wellington watches", four "Hublot watches", an "Omega watch", 29 "Rayban sunglasses", 10 bottles of "Creed Aventus aftershave", 28 "Givenchy t-shirts", a "Givenchy jumper", three "Fendi hoodies", and a pair of "Christian Louboutin trainers".
Prosecutor Kristina Kelly said all the goods were counterfeits. Lindsay also admitted sell bogus designer goods labelled Louis Vuitton and Tag Heur.
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard Lindsay had bought the items over the Internet from Chinese-based fakers for £7,430, but if they had been real they would have been worth £650,145.
Lindsay, 37, of Bonnybridge, pleaded guilty to contravening the 1994 Trade Marks Act by selling watches, wall clocks, aftershave, footwear, clothing and bags with bogus trademarks for nearly two years between August 2017 and June 2019 from bases in Bonnybridge and Falkirk.
The court heard he had a previous Trade Marks Act conviction - for selling counterfeit DVDs - but has no other matters outstanding.
Stephen Biggam, defending, said Lindsay had turned to selling fakes "to keep the wolf from the door" after being involved in a road accident in Turkey.
Mr Biggam, solicitor-advocate, said the injuries Lindsay sustained had prevented him from carrying on a legitimate business that he had previously run, and profits from the fake trade were to allow his family to remain in their family home.
He said Lindsay had made a profit of about £50 on a counterfeit watch. He added that Lindsay expressed "genuine remorse".
He said: "The threat of prison has weighed heavily on him and his family. He is a local man. He has engaged with the entire process. He hasn't sought to run away."
Imposing the 15-month jail term, Sheriff Christopher Shead said Lindsay had been selling goods of counterfeited in China for "exactly the purpose" of affecting the profits of genuine manufacturers.
He said: "It was sustained, and there was a significant value." On the public benches, members of Lindsay's family wept as he was escorted by custody officers downstairs to the cells.
Confiscation action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover financial gains Lindsay made by the bogus goods scheme was continued until October 27th.
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