Llandudno,Rhos On Sea,North Wales - Rhos-on-sea shop couple jailed for '£305,000' fake goods racket

Some of the goods seized in raids by Conwy Trading Standards at 'In Da House' in 2013. They included a fake designer handbag (left) bundles of mobile phones (bottom right) and chargers (top right)

• 28 OCT 2015
• BY JEZ HEMMING

Stephen and Lisa Clegg, who ran the In Da House store, bought and sold counterfeit mobile phones and fashion items before being raided by Conwy Council 

Selling fake mobile phones and counterfeit fashion goods has landed a couple more than four years of jail time.

Stephen and Lisa Clegg ran their illegal operation from their shop, In Da House, in Rhos-on-Sea .

Caernarfon Crown Court heard yesterday that Mrs Clegg received parcels from China containing counterfeit items, which were then relabelled and distributed on to other addresses throughout Europe.

The prosecution alleged the couple’s fraudulent deals netted them more than £305,000, but the defence argued they had not made that much in profit and did not live the “high life”.

Judge PL Harris-Jenkins sentenced Lisa Clegg to 36 months behind bars for her role in the operation.

In Da House, the front for the Cleggs' fraudulent operation

Stephen Clegg was jailed for 388 days on two charges of fraudulent trading after the judge accepted claims he played a lesser part in the crime.

Conwy Council Trading Standards were alerted to the Cleggs’ activities after company DHL stopped 20 parcels destined for the couple in November 2013.

Locked Up: The criminals jailed in North Wales in September 2015

Seventeen contained fake mobiles and three had Louis Vuitton and Chanel goods.

All the parcels were accompanied by fake documentation which claimed the goods were legitimate.

The prosecution said the operation had been going since January 2008 until Conwy council officers raided the shop in December 2013.

'Highly planned'

Judge Harris-Jenkins said Lisa Clegg was the driving force with Stephen Clegg playing a supporting role.

However he said they both benefited financially from the enterprise which was a “highly planned and organised business”.

He said their “massive commercial trade” was “clearly international” and they had received numerous warnings which they both ignored.

Passing sentence, he said jail was unavoidable.

Cllr Philip Evans, Conwy’s cabinet member for regulation, said: “As well as being of dubious quality and safety, fake goods fund organised crime and can have a devastating impact on legitimate business, causing job losses and closures of local shops.”

For more stories see - http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rhos-sea-shop-couple-jailed-10343660