United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, May 13, 2008, that Sharon E. Lytle of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal counterfeiting laws.

The two‑count indictment named Lytle, age 46, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, Lytle intentionally trafficked in hand bags while knowingly using counterfeit marks, specifically, spurious marks identical with, and substantially indistinguishable from, trademarks of Chanel and Gucci.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of twenty years in prison, a fine of $4,000,000, or both.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.