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Megan Carney-Borrowman, who sold fake luxury goods on Instagram and claimed £158,000 found among baby clothes was her children’s savings, has been jailed for four years and three months.
Megan Carney-Borrowman, a mother-of-four from Southport, Merseyside, has been sentenced to four years and three months for conspiracy to commit trademark offences after selling counterfeit luxury goods on Instagram and claiming £158,000 found hidden among baby clothes was her children’s life savings.
She ran a £4million business empire selling fake Chanel, Burberry and Versace items to thousands of followers. Her husband, 35-year-old Jordan Borrowman, her mother, Sandra Carney, 65, and Carney’s long-term business partner, Adam Yaffe, 53, were also sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court over two days this week.
Instagram Sales and First Arrest
Carney-Borrowman used social media to flog counterfeit gear, building a massive operation with accounts linked to the mother showing more than £4million deposited over a four-year period.
Her home was first raided in November 2022 after Chanel tipped off anti-crime units to the illicit activity. Neither she nor her husband were present, and when later questioned they claimed not to have their phones. Borrowman said his phone was lost and it was never recovered, though the court heard it was used again following the arrest.
Carney-Borrowman tried to deceive officers by handing over her son’s phone in a failed attempt to pass it off as her own. However, Carney’s phone was recovered and messages led police to uncover Yaffe’s involvement.
Second Raid Uncovers £158,000 in Cash
Analysis of Carney-Borrowman’s accounts following her first arrest found she made significant cash withdrawals, prompting a second search of her home in April 2023.
The raid led to the discovery of her phone on top of a curtain rail in the master bedroom. More significantly, prosecutor James Rae told the court that she sought to prevent officers from searching her baby’s bedroom. The real reason became apparent when £158,000 in cash was found concealed there.
The money was seized despite the defendant claiming it was her children’s savings that she had withdrawn. The phone seizure proved crucial, showing a very large volume of chats that overwhelmingly evidenced she was selling counterfeit goods and using a drop-shipping method to import them from overseas suppliers directly to customers’ addresses.
Financial Accounts and Benefit Fraud
Police found Carney-Borrowman had eight business bank accounts and 18 personal accounts, some in the names of her young children. Between 2019 and 2023, the business accounts received nearly £4,319,952.73, with £753,419.50 paid into her personal accounts.
She was arrested for benefit fraud in May 2024. A Department for Work and Pensions investigation found she benefited to the tune of around £68,300 through a failure to declare her self-employment income, her purchases of two houses, her residing with Borrowman, and their joint assets.
She also made a bogus insurance claim after telling Halifax she had lost her expensive Rolex on a night out in Blackpool. But when North West Regional Organised Crime Unit officers attended her home, they saw a Rolex on her wrist matching the same serial number as the apparently missing timepiece.
Footage showed an officer questioning Carney-Borrowman about the Rolex. After being asked if she was wearing one, she said it was not real and that they were not taking it off her, claiming it was for her 30th birthday. Told to hand it over, she added that her mum and dad had got it for her so she could probably get a receipt. When asked if it was genuine, she changed her answer and confirmed it was.
Mr Rae told the court Carney-Borrowman was the prime mover in the offending, clearly supported and encouraged by her mother. Borrowman was said to have been a significant beneficiary from the proceeds of the counterfeiting and had at times sold, packaged and carried goods as part of the conspiracy, although in a supportive role. Yaffe was said to have encouraged, cautioned and advised Carney-Borrowman.
In mitigation, Nicholas Clarke, defending Carney-Borrowman, told the court her remorse was not self-pitying but reflective of the genuine fear she has for her children. He said there were developmental concerns regarding all her children, and her youngest had ongoing appointments at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Mr Clarke said her children revolve around her and most of her waking life is dealing with them, and the reports set out the concerns she has about all of the children being looked after by others.
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