WASHINGTON — Brides-to-be will have the chance to scoop up some designer gowns at deep discounts during a three-day liquidation sale next week in Anne Arundel County.
No, it’s not a going-out-of-business sale or a once-a-year markdown. The U.S. Marshals Service, with help from the General Services Administration, is selling more than 2,000 items from wedding accessories to formalwear in order to reimburse a victim of embezzlement.
The bridal gowns, evening dresses, wedding accessories, tuxedos and even flower girl dresses all came from Couture Miss Bridal and Formal, once owned by Ephonia Green.
Green is serving a 46-month prison sentence for embezzling more than $5.1 million from her former employer, the Association of American Medical Colleges.
As an administrative assistant, Green processed invoices for the D.C.-based nonprofit best known for administering medical school entrance exams. Federal investigators say Green submitted false invoices to the association that claimed to be from the Brookings Institute, her own bridal shop company and the University Health System Consortium for services never provided to the association.
She used the money from those fake invoices to buy the bridal store, said Jason Martinez, assistant program manager of the forfeiture division for the U.S. Marshals Service.
“We’ve been ordered to liquidate her inventory so that we can return all the net proceeds back to the victim that she defrauded,” Martinez said. “Everything will go back to the American Association of Medical Colleges, whom she stole the money from.”
Typically, Marshals Service auctions involve cars, real estate and boats. Although the service has sold retail clothing before, the agency decided to try something new to dispose of the bridal shop’s large inventory opting for a live sale at a brick-and-mortar location instead of an auction.
Each dress will be marked with a price tag. Prices will range from less than $30 for some accessories and as much as $2,000 to $3,000 for the highest-priced gowns, he said.
“And those are discounted,” he notes.
Gowns have labels from high-end dressmakers including Badgley Mischka, Jovani, Sweet Beginnings, Stella York, Pronovias and Christina Wu.
Although interested shoppers won’t be able to peruse a catalog of photos before the sale, the GSA has compiled a 69-page list of each item including its label, color, cut and size.
One offering is described as a Sparkle, womens, peacock, sweetheart sequin neckline, A-line, size 8. A Stella York dress is described as moscato color, satin, tulle with jewel neckline and waist, lace up, size 12.
Shoppers won’t be able to try on the dresses to limit damage to the formalwear. Instead they’ll have to base their purchases on the label size, Martinez says.
If you go:
Embassy Suites at BWI Airport, 1300 Concourse Drive, Linthicum, Maryland
Nov. 18 through Nov. 20
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday
