Missouri flea market owner sentenced to 2 years in federal prison following his conviction for selling counterfeit goods

ST. LOUIS — A suburban St. Louis businessman was sentenced to two years in federal prison following his conviction on multiple charges for selling counterfeit goods at a popular local flea market.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by the following agencies:  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Effingham (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Louis County Police Department. 

Jack Frison Sr., of Frontenac, Missouri, and the owner of the Frison Flea Market, was sentenced following his Sept. 14, 2014 conviction for:  one felony count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, one felony count of aiding and abetting felony copyright infringement, and one felony count of aiding and abetting trafficking counterfeit goods.

Frison owned and operated the Frison Flea Market in Pagedale, Missouri.

In June 2012, federal agents and local officers executed search-and-seizure warrants at the flea market and at Frison’s St. Louis home. Among the items seized were documents, computers, jewelry and suspected precious metals, as well as more than $41,000 in cash.

The following vehicles were also seized from Frison’s residence:

• 2012 Porsche Panamera with an estimated value of 93,194,
• 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible with an estimated value of $340,932,
• 2007 Jeep Commander with an estimated value of 10,734,
• 2006 Land Rover Range Rover with an estimated value of $22,796.

The business had been operating for more than 30 years before Frison’s arrest. The business permanently closed in November.

According to testimony presented at trial in June, vendors paid Frison a rental fee to rent and operate sales booths at his flea market, where many vendors openly sold counterfeit goods.  The counterfeit goods included clothing, footwear, purses, accessories, movie DVDs and music CDs.  Some of the commonly found counterfeit items at the market bore trademarks owned by Coach, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, and others. Frison knew that the goods were counterfeit and he allowed vendors to continue selling them.  Rather than removing vendors selling illegal goods, Frison fined them instead, adding to his income.

Frison must next surrender himself to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence. A surrender date has not yet been set.