Slap on the wrist

[phxkev]

The sentence doesn't exactly set an example to deter others.......

Florida Counterfeiter Sentenced

Posted: Thursday, December 28, 2006

By Michael Moretti

Cigar Aficionado onilne

Juan Penton, 43, the Florida man convicted of trafficking in counterfeit cigars was sentenced in a Miami federal court this month to five months of house arrest, five years of probation and a $7,500 fine. U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno declined the prosecution's request that Penton serve five years in prison.

In October, a jury found that he had copied Cuban brand names whose U.S. trademark rights are registered to Altadis U.S.A. Inc. and General Cigar Co. Penton is one of the five men indicted on state counterfeiting charges last December, and then indicted again on stiffer federal charges in March of this year. Penton was found guilty of selling $3,000 worth of counterfeit cigars in imitation "Made in Cuba" boxes. At the time of his arrest, authorities also seized enough bands and boxes that could have been used to sell hundreds of millions of dollars of fake cigars annually, according to Altadis U.S.A., which aided authorities in the investigation.

[Tampa1257]

Who wants to lay odds that this guy is back up and operational within the time period of his "house arrest"?

[broozer]

» Who wants to lay odds that this guy is back up and operational within the

» time period of his "house arrest"?

well, time at home will certainly give him plenty of opportunity to stock pile more fakes. i mean, what the hell else is he gonne do at home for that long?

bruce

[phxkev]

» Who wants to lay odds that this guy is back up and operational within the

» time period of his "house arrest"?

I almost ordered a box of the Cohiba Recidivist from him.

[harwellplant]

i would be interested to know the scope of marcas he was employing in his scam and among the 'bands and boxes' that were confiscated.

often cited conventional wisdom is that vendors offering lesser known or lower sales volume marcas are somewhat de facto legitimate, authorized retailers. while there may be some merit to that theory -- in that counterfeiters won't take the time to create those marcas --, the availability of bands, boxes and art and the ready access to the creation of the same through modern technology waters it down significantly.

[Wolfe Tone]

» Who wants to lay odds that this guy is back up and operational within the

» time period of his "house arrest"?

Was he not part of a large operation, of which some higher ups have not been tried yet? He may have been given that sentence in exchange for his testimony.