By Vir B. Lumicao
 |
| The Filipina tourist was caught selling fake goods and working illegally |
A Filipina tourist who had overstayed her visa since May
2018 and worked illegally selling designer products with fake brands was ordered
jailed for 15 months today, Jun 30, in Kowloon City Court after she admitted
the offenses.
Jessa Millioneda, 30, and Hong Kong shopowner, Atilla Quiao Ma, 56, faced charges of selling and possessing counterfeit goods. Millomeda was also charged with taking up a job while fighting deportation.
The two both pleaded guilty to the offences before Magistrate Ada Yim.
 |
| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
On Nov 22 at about 2:30pm last year, Calvin Klein representative Lim Sui-kim and Customs officer Lai Hon-chung conducted an anti-counterfeit operation against a shop named Lead Merchandise Services at Flat A8, 10th floor, Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Lim entered the shop pretending to be a customer while Lai stood outside. Lim bought a set of fake assorted cosmetics and a fake Gucci shirt. Then she asked Millomeda who was at the shop, if there was a smaller size of the shirt and other brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Louis Vuitton.
 |
| Call now! |
The Filipina told her all those goods were on the shelves. Lim then bought a counterfeit Coach bag, a Coach wallet, and a Chanel cosmetics set including perfume and lipstick. Her purchases totaled $220, which she paid with a marked $500 bill.
Lim left at 2:48 pm and returned with Lai and another Customs officer five minutes later and arrested Millomeda for selling counterfeit goods.
 |
| CONTACT US! |
Atilla Quiao Ma then arrived and identified herself as owner of the shop. She was arrested by another Customs officer. A name card bearing her name that was found in a bag in the shop confirmed she was the owner. A key to the flat was also found.
The officers, armed with a search warrant, searched the shop and found 169 counterfeit goods, including 48 sunglasses, 45 bags, 28 wallets, 19 watches, 11 pairs of shoes, 11 pieces of clothing, 6 cosmetic sets and 1 perfume, 8 assorted brand cosmetic sets and bags. The fake goods were worth a total of $48,060.
 | |
During questioning by the police, Millomeda said she was not an employee of the shop and was just there to visit Ma who was her friend and owner of the shop and goods.
Ma also denied employing Millomeda, saying the Filipina was her friend and was there for a gathering. She said she did not know Millomeda had sold the goods in her shop.
 |
| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
But during a subsequent questioning on Nov 23, 2020, the two women refused to answer questions related to the case.
Investigators checked Millomeda’s records and discovered that she surrendered on Jan 7, 2019, to Immigration for overstaying. She was released on Feb 27 on recognizance. A removal order was issued against her on Apr 29, 2019 and served to her on May 6 that year. She then filed a non-refoulement claim.
In mitigation, the defense lawyer said her client, who is
single, came to
The counsel said his client wanted to help her father, 56, a farmer earning about $1,000 a month, to support her family that included her mother, 54, and three younger siblings.
Ma, for her part, begged forgiveness for her offense, saying she has an 83-year-old mother who depended on her for support.
Yim sentenced Millomeda to two weeks in jail for selling fake goods, four weeks for possession of such goods, and 15 months for working illegally in Hong Kong, with the sentences to be served concurrently.
The magistrate told Ma to return on Jul 15 for the probation officer’s and community service reports. She extended the defendant’s bail until that date.
 |
| CALL US! |
 |
