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Woman charged after fraudulent deeds discovered

By Jennifer Frew | The News Herald

Published: November 18, 2009

Morganton - Burke investigators allege a Lenoir woman sold fake goods in multiple counties across the region.
Xue Long Hung "Helen" Yu, of 1917 Norwood St., Lenoir, was arrested in Burke County on Monday and charged with criminal use of counterfeit trademarks. Yu was held on a $25,000 secured bond. She will appear in court today.
Investigators say Yu was caught selling non-authentic items with registered trademarks at a flea market in Wilkes County on Nov. 9, as Burke County was investigating her for the same crime.
Toys, hats, purses and notebooks were among the trademarked items seized. Officers say they recovered items with Disney, Sharpie, John Deere, Baby Phat, Coach, Nokia, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Prada, Chanel and Dodge trademarks.
The North Carolina Anticounterfeit Trademark Task Force investigated and local member Sgt. Rick Hasson, with the Burke County Narcotics Task Force, made the arrest.
This is the third time Yu has been charged with this Class H felony, Hasson said. More charges are possible.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said, "This is $25,000 worth of fake goods that will not go out on the market to damage the state's legitimate manufacturers and merchants, or endanger consumers."
Hasson said, "The N.C. Secretary of State's office, which has the statutory duty to enforce laws protecting holders of state and federally registered trademarks, established the N.C. Anticounterfeit Trademark Task Force in 2004 to train local law enforcement officers on the fine points of spotting knock-off products and coordinating enforcement actions across their traditional jurisdictional boundaries."
"That's what's so good about this task force,"added Hasson, "That everyone works together across the state to get these items off the market."