Elgin police: Man sold bogus Nike, North Face goods at flea market

A West Dundee man has been charged with trying to sell hundreds of bogus Nike, North Face and Michael Kors items at an Elgin flea market, according to police and court records.

Joseph M. Darovec, 66, of the 2100 block of Marriott Drive, was arrested Jan. 29 and charged with four felonies, including selling 500 to 2,000 items valued at between $10,000 and $100,000, which is the most severe charge.

According to an Elgin Police report, the investigation began Jan. 25 after a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent called an Elgin detective regarding a man possibly selling counterfeit merchandise at the Fox Valley Flea Market, 840 N. State St.

The agent said he had previously talked to the man, later identified as Darovec, who acknowledged the items were counterfeit, the report said.

The detective and special agent returned Jan. 29 and talked to Darovec again. "(Darovec) openly discussed the items he had for sale were counterfeit and went in depth discussing the process by which they were made, how you could tell they were counterfeit," read part of an Elgin police report.

In all, Darovec had 1,227 counterfeit items, 273 of which had the Kors label, 203 with the Nike label and 195 with the North Face label, the report said.

If convicted of the most severe charge, he faces anywhere from fines, probation and community service to seven years in prison. He does not have any previous criminal arrests in Kane County, records show.

Darovec is free on bond and due in court Thursday.