Watch counterfeiting – A calmer hearing (Part 6)

On this Thursday, 14 March 2024, a new day of hearings on the subject of watch counterfeiting, we learn that Julien V. will not be present. He claimed to have toothache and refused to leave his cell, which speaks volumes about his defiance towards the Court… Florian R., on the other hand, is indeed present. And the bulk of the proceedings will concern him and his network known as “La Genèverie” (a contraction of Genève and horlogerie, Ed.).

Florian Mohamed Noël R., as he was named at birth in 1998, spoke at length about himself during his second interview. The son of a sick mother and a violent father, he was shuttled back and forth from his earliest childhood, following the couple’s separations, between Bastia, Avignon, Brittany and the south-west. He holds a vocational baccalaureate in Commerce obtained in Carpentras and studied law. He dreamed of becoming a lawyer. He has a strong-willed character and throws himself passionately into everything he touches. Before that, he dreamed of being a sailor, taking a Deckhand’s vocational certificate (CAP Matelot), then studying law as mentioned above, and finally he developed a passion for watchmaking. It was following a serious motorbike accident in 2019 that he used his time confined to bed to set up his virtual shop on Telegram, which he would name “La Genèverie”.

Today, Florian R. is in pre-trial detention, awaiting the outcome of the trial. Only his mother visits him. He has a girlfriend but cannot have visiting-room time with her because, he says, he does not have a close enough relationship with her. They are married religiously, but this is not recognised by the prison administration. He was also due to be released from prison at the end of last year, but an appeal by the public prosecution (Parquet) prevented this. Today, he fills his days with everything he can sign up for: yoga, English lessons, he runs for the Téléthon, he volunteers for the Red Cross, he won a public-speaking competition, and he is even training to become a house painter. He is what is known as a model inmate. Except that…

Florian R. was caught continuing to work on La Genèverie from inside his cell. And the presiding judge of the Court said: “What sentence will it take for you to stop?” For Florian R. had already been convicted in February 2019 for selling fake iPhones between April and September 2018.

As for the case that concerns us, that of La Genèverie, through which he sold, among other things, fake Rolex watches, he was arrested on 21 June 2022, at his mother’s home in Landerneau, Brittany. He was staying in this house while his mother and stepfather were on a camping holiday. A detail that matters, as you will understand in the lines that follow. The Financial Judicial Investigation Service (SEJF) and two other central Police offices carried out his arrest. And the presiding judge of the Paris Judicial Court went on to describe this arrest in detail to properly define Florian R.’s personality.

“At 9.30am, SEJF investigators went to the home of Florian R.’s mother. The front of the house is enclosed by a conservatory. As this was an arrest with no identified risk, the investigators knocked on the conservatory and announced themselves. When Florian R. came out and found himself facing them, him in the conservatory, them outside, he feigned a fainting spell. After a few seconds he got up, and rushed into the house to grab a kitchen knife and threaten to slit his own throat if they tried to enter the house. He took his phone and threatened to do it live on social media. The investigators reacted well by withdrawing and calling in the GIGN, which dispatched its negotiators. Florian R. eventually surrendered at 12.50pm.”

“During all that time I destroyed my phones, I tried to hide evidence, and I hid €24,000. But it was found (in the toilet bowl, Ed.). But the police did not respect my rights. There was no call from the Police to my lawyer. In fact, we filed a complaint about that.” His defence lawyer at the Court, Maître Marie Violleau, says she was not aware of this. “That was a previous colleague,” she tells the Court.

The presiding judge projects onto the screen photos of a MacBook burned in an oven and an iPhone burned in a saucepan. Other photos show bundles of banknotes hidden in the toilet and… a Rolex Submariner emerging from the toilet cistern. “Well yeah, since it’s waterproof…” says Florian R. with a smile. Laughter is heard in the Court. There is a noticeably lighter atmosphere than at the previous hearing, where Julien V.’s agitation had electrified the proceedings. Here, Florian cooperates, jokes around, and reveals a rich, engaging personality.

And the presiding judge, recalling Florian R.’s previous convictions, repeats: “What needs to be done for you to stop?” “Mr President, I have always worked on the side. I was never a full-time criminal. When I was bedridden, I created La Genèverie because I love watchmaking. It started from the heart and moved to the head. But when I get out, I can assure you that I will stay in this field. I’m not going to throw it all in the bin. Today I know how to assemble and disassemble a watch, I love watches. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!” replies Florian R., among other statements he would make during a long monologue.

Florian R. states that he sold 10 watches a month from October 2020 onwards. He began talking about the famous Rolex Daytona doublettes in October 2020 but only started selling them from January 2021. From January 2021 to June 2022 he states that he made a net profit of €200,000. Of these sums, €25,000 was seized during the search, he put €60,000 into his Mercedes coupe, €32,000 was seized from his bank accounts, another Mercedes, an A35 AMG bought for €40,000, was seized by the Police, and 2 kg of Rolex components which he claims are genuine were seized. Bearing in mind that he was buying complete movements for €5,000 apiece. To this he adds the €21,000 hidden in the tyre press held among the seized exhibits. He thus states that all the money he earned from selling the 100 watches he sold has been seized from him. One can already sense him “negotiating” his sentence by referring to a “full settlement of accounts”. And regarding having been caught out while in pre-trial detention, he explains this by the fact that he no longer had any money. He mainly continued to sell identity cards and 4 or 5 Police database lookups because there was demand for them on La Genèverie.

It is now the turn of the civil parties to respond. The lawyer representing Rolex takes the floor. “You stated that you sold 10 watches a month with a profit of €200 per watch, but at the same time we can calculate that you earned €10,000 a month.” “No, that’s an average of €10,000 a month. Because there was also the jewellery and the doublettes. That was the bulk of my income. The doublettes were bought for €800 and resold for €1,300.” “On Le Bon Coin we can see that you sold 4 watches for around €13,500.” the lawyer adds. “No, that’s not me.” replies Florian R. A SEJF report dated 4 May 2022 is projected onto the screen. It shows a Rolex Submariner sold for €15,600, claimed to have been bought in Barcelona. “But that’s a genuine watch that was sold at a consignment shop in Montfavet, you’re mixing everything up.” Florian R. tells Rolex’s lawyer. “950 grams of Rolex parts which you claim are genuine were found at your home. What did you intend to do with them?” asks the lawyer. “I bought them in Zurich from Rolex employees. I wanted to assemble a genuine watch to sell it.” claims Florian R. Hublot and Fred’s lawyer then asks: “Is La Genèverie a registered trademark?” “Soon” replies Florian R. with a broad smile, met with laughter from the Court.

The public prosecutor then takes the floor. “Thank you, Mr R., for reaching this stage of acknowledging the elements we are presenting to you. This is a tribute to the remarkable work of the investigators, and it will save us time. You studied law, what interested you about it?” “It was a sincere move. I thought I could become a lawyer.” replies Florian R.

“However, a USB key containing cryptocurrency was not found. And that is why your mother’s house was placed under seal, so that investigators could return to carry out further searches. And this shows Mr R.’s double personality, ladies and gentlemen of the Court. Mr Florian R. preferred to let his mother and stepfather sleep in a campsite for 10 days rather than cooperate in finding this key. And when we read his stepfather’s statement, we learn that Florian R. spent his days on the sofa tapping away on his phone and took no part whatsoever in the running of the household. He only paid for a restaurant once for his mother, at a pizzeria. For someone earning €10,000 a month, that immediately makes him less sympathetic.” the public prosecutor informs the Court. “You stated that you had transferred €250,000 to accounts in Morocco, but after investigation, we found nothing. We are therefore convinced that there is money somewhere.” she adds.

“I bought bitcoins for €3,000 and made a profit of €60,000. With that money I bought a house in Morocco.” replies Florian R.

The defence lawyer, Maître Marie Violleau, takes the floor. “Your stepfather says that at one point you wanted to go into watchmaking?”, addressing Florian R. “I was passionate about it. I wanted to set up a watch buying/selling company.” he replies. “You have had one constant in your life for 15 years, Sandy. Who is she?” the lawyer asks again. “That’s my ex-wife. We were together for 7 or 8 years. The turning point was when Customs searched her home. Her parents didn’t want us to see each other again. We got back together, but then, with the detention and the distance, we split up.” “Who do you associate with in detention?” “Only sportsmen. I’m the only one there for counterfeiting. There are killers, armed robbers, violent men. So I do my sport and go back to my cell.” “What is your relationship with your father? Florian Mohamed Noël, that is indeed your name?” “Yes, that’s right. My father is a thug, a violent man. As a child, he used to beat us, and he beat my mother. We left because the day before I had stepped in between them and got hit in the head with a toolbox. I suffered a head injury and that was the trigger for my mother to leave. I was 10 years old.” “What will you do when you get out?” “I’m going into watches. I don’t want to give all this up. And I’ll do it in the south of France. Before that I’ll go and help my mother and stepfather with their company, but I want to go into watches…”.

In our next article we will discover the surprise sprung on Florian R. at the Court, and we will learn about the closing arguments of the civil parties’ lawyers, namely what the brands that suffered damages are seeking.

Frequently asked questions