What looked like high-end bling from two Miami-area jewelry counters is now sitting in an evidence room, after Miami-Dade deputies say they seized more than $1.8 million in counterfeit designer pieces and arrested the store’s owner.
Investigators say 43-year-old Manuel DeJesus Beltran-Machado, a local jewelry store owner, surrendered to deputies this week and was taken into custody. According to deputies, the haul from the two storefronts included imitation watches, necklaces and branded boxes made to look like they came straight from top luxury labels. Search warrants were carried out at the shops on Feb. 12 following what officials describe as a months-long undercover probe.
WPLG Local 10 reports that investigators ultimately recovered 262 total items across both locations: 136 pieces from a 29th Street storefront with a documented retail comparison value of $894,070 and 126 pieces from an Eighth Street shop valued at $939,895, for a combined total of $1,833,965. Deputies told the station they brought items from undercover buys to brand experts, who determined the merchandise was counterfeit. The suspected knockoffs, investigators say, carried marks for Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Prada and Rolex.
Where Deputies Say The Fakes Were Found
The two addresses tied to the seizure, 7148 SW 8th St. in Miami and 530 W. 29th St. in Hialeah, are listed online as locations for Las Villas Jewelry, according to the Las Villas Jewelry contact page. The shops advertise chains, watches and repair services and list phone numbers and hours for each outlet on their site. Public business listings indicate both storefronts have been operating in those neighborhoods for years.
Arrest And Charges
Deputies say Beltran-Machado turned himself in to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Organized Crimes Bureau, where he was taken into custody. Jail records show he faces felony counts of selling, purchasing or possessing counterfeit items with a retail value of $20,000 or more, according to WPLG Local 10.
He remains in county custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with bond listed as “to be set.” According to the county’s inmate-search portal, Turner Guilford Knight serves as the main pretrial facility for Miami-Dade County (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation).
Legal Implications
Under Florida law, knowingly selling or possessing counterfeit goods is a criminal offense, with penalties that escalate based on the quantity and total retail value of the items. When the alleged counterfeit merchandise has a retail value of $20,000 or more, the offense is treated as a second-degree felony under state statute. State law also allows courts to impose fines of up to three times the retail value of the seized goods and to order restitution to trademark owners (Florida Senate).
A Pattern Of High-Value Sweeps
Large counterfeit hauls have become something of a trend in South Florida. In 2024, Broward investigators seized nearly $1.6 million in suspected fake designer jewelry from a mall kiosk, NBC 6 reported. Miami police also ran an undercover operation last year that turned up roughly $3 million in counterfeit designer goods at a downtown storefront, in a case covered by a $3 million downtown bust and other outlets. Officials say those kinds of investigations typically hinge on undercover buys and brand representatives who authenticate the merchandise.
Court records and future filings will determine whether prosecutors move forward with formal indictments and what penalties, if any, Beltran-Machado could ultimately face. Public dockets and county records will provide the next clues as the case works its way through the system.
