After a lengthy investigation, LASD deputies detain dubious detergent dealers after conducting several raids across Los Angeles. According to authorities, investigators had been looking into reports of counterfeit laundry detergent being sold in large, 5 gallon buckets at swap meets, fundraisers and on the internet. Apparently, individuals had been purchasing a look-alike product on the cheap, packaging it in false name-brand packaging and selling it to unsuspecting consumers at markups as high as 500%.

Authorities aren’t quite sure why the suspects chose to sell counterfeit laundry detergent, though they have a solid hypothesis. According to Lt. Geoffrey Deedrick of the LASD’s Office of Counterfeiting and Piracy – it’s a matter of risk. Selling counterfeit laundry detergent can be just as profitable as selling illegal narcotics. However, if caught, the punishment for being convicted of counterfeiting soap is far less severe than for being caught with a bunch of narcotics.

The soap that was confiscated in the LASD’s raids was analyzed by a scientist (Jack English) at Proctor & Gamble and was determined to contain more water than their official product. The victims of the scam, then, are likely to have gotten off relatively easy. According to English, buying counterfeit chemicals can be extremely dangerous because the victim doesn’t know what’s actually in there or where it came from.

In California, forgeries and counterfeiting are covered under California Penal Codes 470 – 483.5. Counterfeiting is loosely described as attempting to pass off a phony document or item in an attempt to defraud someone else for personal or financial gain.  The charges in the case detailed above are still pending, though if charged under one of the several penal codes regarding forgery and counterfeiting, the suspects may face anywhere from 1 to 3-years in California state prison.

Since they tried to pass off their false laundry detergent as the real thing, the suspects might be charged with a different crime altogether; that of theft by false pretenses (California Penal Code 532 PC). If so, the suspects face anywhere from 1-year in county jail to 3-years in California state prison.

Robin Sandoval

Robin Sandoval

Robin Sandoval is a California Licensed Bail Bondsman and owner of SCV Bail Bonds. Robin writes blogs and articles to help increase community awareness of the bail industry. If you have questions or want to suggest a topic, email robin@scvbailbonds.com, visit www.scvbailbonds.com or call 661-299-2245.
Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval
Robin Sandoval

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