Sheriff's Office News Releases

Osceola County, Florida - Osceola County Sheriff's deputies arrested Lisa Fowlkes and Gary Pronesti and charged them with Sale/Offering Counterfeiting Private Labels. The investigation began on January 27 at approximately 2:00 p.m. when deputies responded to Old Town located at 5770 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke with an individual at the Corvette Convention who indicated he learned one of the vendors at the show was selling fake handbags to patrons of the event. Deputies conducted an undercover investigation and purchased a fake handbag that retails for $1,200 dollars for $35 dollars. They also verified Pronesti and Fowlkes had been selling the handbags at the event.

Based on the investigation, Fowlkes and Pronesti were arrested. Deputies took into evidence $5,256 in cash and 52 fake handbags that, if authentic, would have retailed for approximately $25,000. Fowlkes and Pronesti were booked into the Osceola County Jail.

• Lisa Fowlkes (DOB 8/4/87), 1921 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD
  
• Gary Pronesti (DOB 12/30/47), 217 Greentree Drive, Syracuse, NY