DECEMBER 16, 2003

DILLON, BOGSTED ANNOUNCE CHARGES IN SALE OF FAKE JEWELRY

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon and Nassau County Commissioner of Consumer Affairs Roger Bogsted announced today that they have caught a number of jewelry stores ripping off holiday shoppers by passing off under-karated jewelry as genuine 14 karat merchandise.

"This is an ongoing problem for holiday shoppers who think they are getting a bargain," Dillon said. "So for the second year in a row we conducted a joint investigation with Consumer Affairs. Sure enough, we identified five jewelry shops in Nassau County that were defrauding customers by selling them jewelry that tested below the Federal Trade Commission's 13.9 karat standard."

"Merchants who sell these under-karated items, and manufacturers who produce them, are picking the pockets of consumers," said Bogsted, "and they are also undercutting the sales of legitimate jewelers by passing off these fakes as bargain-priced 14 karat jewelry."

According to Dillon, "Three shops sold us jewelry that was significantly under-karated:
Peter Jewelry, 80 Main Street, Hempstead, sold us a Nike charm, purporting it to be 14 karat. However in 3 separate tests, the item tested at 8.7, 8.7 and 8.8 karats.

Ayala Jewelry, in the Tri-County Flea Market, 3041 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown, sold us an allegedly 14 karat gold Tweety charm. Three separate tests determined the item to be between 9.0 and 9.1 karats.

Andy's Jewelry, 1826 Merrick Road, Merrick, sold us a Nike charm, again represented as being 14 karat. Three separate tests determined it to be between 9.1 and 9.2 karats." (It should be noted that Andy's Jewelry has since undergone a change in ownership, so that the current owner is NOT responsible for this fraud.)

"In addition," Dillon said, "two other shops will be cited for selling jewelry that tested below the 13.9 karat standard:
Lydia's Jewelry, also located in the Tri-County Flea Market in Levittown, sold us a Tweety charm purporting to be 14 karats, that tested between 13.0 and 13.1 karats.

Robert's Jewelry, 1083 Old Country Road, Westbury, sold us an alleged 14 karat Eyeball charm that tests determined was actually between 13.8 and 13.9 karats."

Both Peter Jewelry and Lydia's were also charged last year for the same kind of fraud, Dillon said.

Each of the stores will be charged with Unconscionable Trade Practices and Deceptive Trade Practices. Penalties range from $2,500 for first time offenders to $5,000 for repeat offenders. The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

"These charges," Dillon said, "should serve as a warning to unscrupulous profiteers that we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute their attempts to victimize the public."

Bogsted said the results of this investigation should also "serve to alert consumers, that you do not always get what you think you are paying for. If you're shopping for good jewelry, do business with stores that have a solid reputation for selling the best product. Don't be taken in by bargains that seem too good to be true. They probably are."

In buying jewelry, Bogsted said, shoppers should be wary of items that do not bear any trademark or quality stamp, have rough edges, have a green cast, or have indistinct features. He added that charms and earrings are the kinds of items that frequently fail the assay test.

"If you feel you've been defrauded by a jewelry establishment," Bogsted advised, "try to return your purchase for a refund. If you are refused, contact Consumer Affairs at 571-2600."