Durham man sentenced for selling more than $120K worth of counterfeit designer clothing

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A Durham man has been sentenced for selling more than $120,000 worth of counterfeit designer clothing and apparel in two central North Carolina counties, the secretary of state said Wednesday.

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In June 2023, according to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, 53-year-old Ronnie Porter was discovered selling about $88,258 in counterfeit designer clothing and apparel at the Stockyard Flea Market in Rocky Mount and was charged with use of a counterfeit trademark, which is a felony offense.

Nearly a year later, on May 21, 2024, officials learned Porter was selling about $36,400 in counterfeit designer clothing and apparel in Durham and charged him with another count of use of a counterfeit trademark. He was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the secretary of state.

According to the secretary of state, the total value of the counterfeit goods was about $124,658.

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Porter pleaded guilty to the counterfeit trademark charge in Nash County last week and in Durham County on Monday. He received a concurrent sentence of eight months to one year and seven months in prison for both offenses, according to the secretary of state.

Records show Porter was convicted of criminal use of a counterfeit trademark in Durham County in 2013.

“Mr. Porter has been charged with counterfeit trademark violations five times over the past 14 years, so this active prison sentence under structured sentencing sends a clear message about the damage that counterfeit goods can do to our state’s economy and to consumers,” North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said in a statement.

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