A Southport woman who ran a lucrative counterfeit designer goods operation through Instagram has been jailed after investigators uncovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in proceeds and £158,000 in cash hidden inside her baby’s bedroom.
Megan Carney-Borrowman, 35, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to four years and three months after admitting a series of offences linked to the sale of fake designer products, money laundering, benefit fraud and conspiracy to defraud.
Her husband, mother and a long-term family associate were also sentenced for their roles in the wider operation.
Millions Passed Through Business Accounts
Carney-Borrowman built what prosecutors described as a sophisticated operation selling counterfeit products presented as luxury brands including Chanel, Burberry and Versace.
The business operated largely through Instagram and WhatsApp, with customers placing orders through social media before goods were supplied using overseas contacts.
Financial investigators discovered eight business bank accounts and 18 personal accounts connected to Carney-Borrowman, including accounts held in the names of some of her young children.
Between 2019 and 2023, almost £4.32 million was paid into the business accounts. Prosecutors said £753,419.50 was subsequently transferred into her personal accounts.
Police Raids Exposed Hidden Evidence
The investigation began after Chanel alerted anti-crime authorities to suspected counterfeit activity.
Police first raided Carney-Borrowman and her husband’s home in November 2022, but neither was present when officers arrived.
The couple later claimed they did not have their phones. Borrowman said his device had been lost, although investigators established that it was subsequently used after his arrest.
Carney-Borrowman also attempted to mislead officers by handing them her son’s phone while presenting it as her own.
Her actual phone was eventually recovered, and its contents provided investigators with extensive evidence of the counterfeit business.
£158,000 Discovered in Baby’s Bedroom
A second search of the family home in April 2023 produced even more significant evidence.
Investigators found Carney-Borrowman’s phone concealed above a curtain rail in the master bedroom.
Officers also discovered £158,000 in cash hidden in the baby’s bedroom after Carney-Borrowman had attempted to prevent police from searching the room.
Prosecutor James Rae told the court that she claimed the money represented savings she had withdrawn for her children.
The cash was nevertheless seized as part of the investigation into the family’s financial activities.
Messages Revealed How the Counterfeit Business Worked
The phone seized during the investigation contained a huge volume of messages which prosecutors said demonstrated that Carney-Borrowman was actively selling counterfeit products.
The operation used a drop-shipping arrangement, allowing goods to be ordered from overseas suppliers and sent directly to customers rather than being stored and distributed entirely from the family home.
The court heard that the business had multiple bank accounts, corporate structures and arrangements designed to conceal payments and make the operation harder to detect.
Benefit Fraud Added to the Charges
The criminal investigation later expanded beyond counterfeit goods.
In May 2024, Carney-Borrowman was arrested over benefit fraud following an investigation by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The inquiry found that she had received approximately £68,300 in benefits that she was not entitled to, with investigators identifying undeclared self-employment income, property purchases, her living arrangements with Borrowman and jointly held assets.
She was also found to have made a false insurance claim involving an expensive Rolex.
Rolex Claim Unravels During Police Visit
Carney-Borrowman had reported to Halifax that she had lost the Rolex during a night out in Blackpool.
However, when officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit visited her home, they noticed that she was wearing a Rolex carrying the same serial number as the supposedly missing watch.
Footage of the encounter was presented as part of the investigation.
When initially questioned about the watch, Carney-Borrowman told an officer that it was not genuine and insisted that it would not be taken from her.
She later said the watch had been bought for her by her parents and suggested she could produce a receipt before eventually acknowledging that it was genuine.
Prosecutors Described Her as the Main Figure
Rae told the court that Carney-Borrowman was the “prime mover” behind the offending and had received substantial support from her mother.
Her husband, Jordan Borrowman, was described as a significant beneficiary of the proceeds and was involved in activities including selling, packaging and transporting counterfeit goods.
However, prosecutors characterised his involvement as supportive rather than central.
Adam Yaffe, meanwhile, was said to have encouraged, cautioned and advised Carney-Borrowman during the operation.
Family Circumstances Raised in Mitigation
The court heard that Carney-Borrowman was the mother of four children and that there were developmental concerns involving them.
Her youngest child was also receiving ongoing treatment and appointments at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Her barrister, Nicholas Clarke, said her remorse was focused on genuine concerns about what would happen to her children if she went to prison.
He said much of her daily life revolved around caring for them and argued that she feared they would struggle if she were no longer available to look after them.
Defence Cited Traumatic Loss
The defence also told the court that Carney-Borrowman had developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the death of a child in April 2022.
Clarke said she had experienced significant personal difficulties following the tragedy.
However, prosecutors disputed part of her account, saying she had previously told the author of a pre-sentence report that the death had prompted her to begin selling counterfeit goods because she felt unable to return to conventional employment.
Other Defendants Also Sentenced
Carney-Borrowman’s mother, Sandra Carney, 65, was also sentenced for her involvement.
Her barrister, Michael Lavery, described her as someone who had worked throughout her adult life and had supported members of her family, including her daughters and grandchildren.
He argued that her involvement was driven partly by her desire to help her daughter despite the consequences of those decisions.
Jordan Borrowman, 35, was also presented as someone whose imprisonment could have a significant effect on the family’s children, particularly if Carney-Borrowman could not care for them.
Yaffe’s barrister, Andy Evans, described his client’s relationship with Carney-Borrowman as extending beyond the criminal conduct, saying he had assisted her during difficult periods as well as happier occasions.
Judge Warns of Consequences for the Family
Judge Louise Brandon said the operation involved a range of measures intended to conceal the criminal activity.
These included Instagram accounts, WhatsApp ordering systems, numerous bank accounts, corporate structures, overseas suppliers, drop-shipping arrangements and concealed payments.
The judge said counterfeiting offences were serious and that every defendant had contributed to the criminal activity.
Addressing Carney-Borrowman directly, Judge Brandon rejected the suggestion that customers generally believed they were knowingly purchasing counterfeit goods.
She also told her that the impact on her children had resulted from her own actions, noting that the children had witnessed police searching their family home.
Four Defendants Receive Different Sentences
Carney-Borrowman, of Birdling Drive in Southport, received four years and three months in prison after admitting conspiracy to commit trademark offences, conspiracy to launder money, benefit fraud and conspiracy to defraud.
Borrowman, also 35 and of Birdling Drive, received a 12-month sentence suspended for 18 months. He was additionally ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work after admitting conspiracy to commit trademark offences, conspiracy to launder money and benefit fraud.
Carney, of Court Road, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with 120 hours of unpaid work. She had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit trademark offences, conspiracy to acquire criminal property, aiding and abetting fraud and conspiracy to defraud.
Yaffe received an 18-month community order and 120 hours of unpaid work after admitting conspiracy to commit trademark offences and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
Police Say the Operation Generated Significant Profits
Detective Inspector Adam Williams of the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit described the case as a sophisticated and long-running operation.
He said the group had generated significant profits from counterfeit designer goods while also exploiting public funds and defrauding an insurance company.
Williams said investigators had overcome attempts to conceal the offending through detailed financial inquiries and cooperation between agencies.
He also warned that counterfeit goods can have consequences beyond the individual transactions, with consumers potentially being misled and proceeds potentially supporting wider criminal activity.
The convictions bring the investigation into a counterfeit trading network that generated millions of pounds in account activity to a conclusion, while highlighting the extensive financial and digital evidence used by investigators to uncover the operation.
