PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A former South Street jeweler was convicted at trial of knowingly selling counterfeit Rolex watches and failing to report thousands of dollars in sales.
Dimitre Hadjiev, 41, of Upper Darby, was charged in September 2019. Prosecutors said since 2014, Hadjiev sold fake Rolexes and used counterfeit luxury parts to customize other watches at his store at Third and South streets.
Investigators said he structured his deposits to conceal his sales and avoid notifying the bank of cash transactions of more than $10,000, which is mandatory. Prosecutors said Hadjiev’s scheme totaled more than $750,000.
They said he also knowingly bought and sold counterfeit pieces.
“Dimitre Hadjiev’s store wasn’t a legitimate business — it was a front for fraud,” said Jacqueline Maguire, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.
“The FBI and our partners are working hard to crack down on crooked businesses of all stripes, whether they’re cheating the public, the government, or, as in this case, both.”