Charges Filed Over Counterfeit Imports From China
The Department of Justice filed charges against 22 defendants over imports of counterfeit luxury goods from China, DOJ said in a news release. Six indictments and a criminal complaint were unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District…
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of New York on Aug. 16, it said. "The charges include conspiracy to traffic, and trafficking, in counterfeit goods; conspiracy to smuggle, and smuggling, counterfeit goods into the United States; money laundering conspiracy; immigration fraud and unlawful procurement of naturalization," DOJ said. Four of the defendants served as the importers for shipping containers full of counterfeit goods through the Port of New York/New Jersey, it said. "They fraudulently used the names, addresses and other identifying information of legitimate import companies and falsified the descriptions of the containers’ contents on U.S. customs paperwork associated with the containers of counterfeit goods." The goods, which include Louis Vuitton and Tory Burch handbags, Michael Kors wallets, Hermes belts and Chanel perfume, would have been worth more than $450 million if real, DOJ said.