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Illinois Man Charged in Surfside Counterfeit Rolex Scheme Linked to Nationwide Fraud February 04, 2026 (0 comments)
Surfside, FL--An Illinois man suspected of orchestrating a nationwide luxury watch fraud scheme is facing charges in Miami-Dade County related to the sale of a counterfeit Rolex. Michael Milke, 28, of the Chicago area, was booked into Miami-Dade jail and charged with grand theft and organized scheme to defraud, according to a report by NBC.
[Image via iStock.com/baona]
According to an arrest warrant, the charges stem from a Jan. 2, 2025, incident at Gray & Sons Jewelers in Surfside, where Milke allegedly sold the retailer a Rolex GMT-Master II for $11,000. The watch was subsequently determined to be a counterfeit.
The report noted that investigators have linked Milke to a series of similar transactions involving fake Rolex watches across the United States between December 2024 and February 2025. The warrant lists connected cases in Waterford Township, Mich.; Anne Arundel County, Md.; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Harris County, Texas; and two Tennessee locations, White House and Franklin.
Milke, who had previously been arrested in Springfield, Tenn., appeared before Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer on Thursday. "They said he's a known fraudster who sells counterfeit watches," Glazer stated during the hearing, as per the report. The judge set bond at $30,000 and issued a stay-away order regarding Gray & Sons.
Learn more in this report by NBC.