Chapel Hill pastor charged after cache of $24 million in counterfeit Cartier bracelets found

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Chapel Hill pastor was arrested Friday after a cache of more than 3,200 counterfeit Cartier bracelets was found at the church where he works.

The bracelets are said to be worth approximately $24.4 million.

JianGang "Frank" Lan, 34, of Chapel Hill is charged with felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark. He's being held on a $25,000 bond.

The arrest came after a tip from the Department of Homeland Security's Office in Louisville, Kentucky.

Agents found the knock-off bracelets and other designer brand bracelets at the Deer Park Community Church at 108 West Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill, where Lan is an associate pastor.

"This is certainly the largest counterfeit seizure we have seen in terms of estimated retail value, and it is a major win for consumers and retailers," Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall said on Friday. "Counterfeiters peddling fakes of an iconic brand such as Cartier are doing damage not only to that company's brand, but to legitimate merchants, and to consumer trust in brand quality."