Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – The home of a Lexington couple was searched by law enforcement agents Friday during an investigation into counterfeit merchandise. This information was brought to our attention by several residents of the Cherokee Lakes neighborhood and later backed up by law enforcement officials.
Jason and Brianna Blaney were thought to be cooperating with authorities. Currently, no record of either ever being arrested has been located. A search of public records in Lexington and adjoining counties shows neither has any criminal history under their current names. We were unable to locate so much as a traffic ticket in their names.
Sources close to the investigation said that agents were focusing on items Brianna Blaney may have been offering for sale in several ways. She had a brick and mortar business called the Blossom Boutique on Sunset Blvd near Travinia Italian Kitchen in Lexington. That store appears to have opened in 2018.
Our source, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he had not been authorized to speak for the agency, said they believe that Blaney recently turned the Sunset Boulevard business over to someone new. He also said Blaney was doing business on the internet through social media. She has a new closed group on Facebook called Wave and Soul. Other regular Facebook followers of Blaney said they she made it well-known that they were planning on moving to Savannah, GA. She had said on social media page recently that they had been blessed to obtain 6-acres in the coastal region of Georgia.
Her personal Facebook page listed various items for sale and a live streaming show. Items sold included everything from golf clubs to beautiful apparel. Her page shows a seemingly loving family, has positive reviews, and lots of well-known and respected friends follow it. Strangely enough, her last post early Saturday morning suddenly seemed more cryptic. It was a quote from Tony A. Gaskins, Jr. who is a motivational speaker, author and life coach. The quote reads, “They claim they don’t like you but they watch your every move. People hate on who they can’t be; and they throw stones at who they can’t reach.”
The Blaneys had listed their Harbor Vista home for sale earlier in the fall. It was a beautiful property located near the banks of the lake. Homes in the area average in the mid $300,000 range according to www.zillow.com.
The investigation into the counterfeit items the agents were said to be looking for included a laundry list of high-end fashions. Items included Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors handbags, Nike shoes, Under Armour, and Tori Burch apparel, Dyson hairdryers and Rayban sunglasses just to name a few.
It is important to note that no law enforcement agency we spoke with has implied that the boutique is currently selling anything counterfeit or that is not on the up and up. The Boutique’s Google presence indicates that it will be opening at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
Jason Blaney was a law enforcement officer himself until recently. Within the past few weeks, he left a job with the Cayce Department of Public Safety, but it appears he did so under his own accord. Prior to that, he worked once before in Cayce before leaving to become a SC State Trooper. He was also a veteran.
In 2018, Trooper Blaney performed an act of kindness that went viral across the nation. He was patrolling I-20 near Lexington when he was dispatched to help a disabled motorist near the 58 mile-marker. There was a couple in the car that had travelled from North Carolina to Atlanta to pick up a child. The problem with their vehicle wasn’t an easy fix. The owner said he had the money needed for the parts and could do the repairs himself. Blaney, knowing how dangerous it would be to work on the side of the busy interstate, called a local tow company to price towing the car to a safer place. The tow company quoted the trooper $80.00 but the couple couldn’t afford that and the parts too. Trooper Blaney took $100 from his own pocket and gave it to couple to pay for the tow. He reportedly told the travelers they could pay the wrecker and then buy some food with the remaining $20.
Multiple agencies investigate accusation of counterfeit goods that seriously hurt companies’ reputations and the consumer who thinks they’re getting the real thing. This could include the US Secret Service, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. You can find out more about this type of crime at www.stopfakes.gov. Just because there is an investigation underway does not mean that anyone is guilty of any crime. All suspects in this and any other investigation remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
