Missouri flea market owner convicted of trafficking counterfeit goods

ST. LOUIS — The owner of a local flea market was convicted Friday on multiple charges relating to his involvement with selling counterfeit goods and DVDs.

This conviction resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the St. Louis County Police Department.

Jack Frison Sr., 65, of Frontenac, Missouri, was convicted on one felony count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, one felony count of aiding and abetting copyright infringement, and one felony count of aiding and abetting trafficking counterfeit goods. The two-day trial was held in June before U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel. He returned his ruling Sept. 12 and set sentencing for January 2015.

According to testimony presented at trial, for more than two decades Frison owned and operated the Frison Flea Market, located at 7025 Saint Charles Rock Road in Pagedale, Missouri. Vendors paid Frison a rental fee to rent and operate sales booths at his flea market.

For more than 10 years, many of Frison's vendors openly sold counterfeit goods from their booths at the market, including clothing, footwear, purses, accessories, DVDs and music CDs. Some vendors sold counterfeit purses and similar luxury items bearing trademarks owned by Coach, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, and others. Frison knew the goods were counterfeit and allowed vendors to continue selling them. Rather than removing vendors who sold illegal goods, Frison fined them instead, adding to his income.

The conspiracy and copyright infringement charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. Trafficking in counterfeit goods carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $2 million. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Bodenausen and Jennifer Roy, Eastern District of Missouri, are prosecuting this case.