New York—a Chinese American couple of New York DAYE DONG and HONGYU CHEN were arrested today and are charged with importing counterfeit goods from China into the United States with the intent to distribute and sell the counterfeit products to retailers in New York City and elsewhere.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “These defendants allegedly sold counterfeit goods, fueling consumers’ desire for low prices on high end products. But the cheap prices come at a high price for legitimate businesses. Protection of intellectual property remains an important priority for my office and for our partners at CBP, ICE, and the NYPD.”
“This sale of conterfeit merchandise is a scheme that is old as crime itself. Today’s arrests led by Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement ensures consumers have confidence in the products they purchase,” said NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill.
From March 2012 to October 2016, DONG and CHEN, who are married, imported counterfeit luxury and designer brand goods into the United States from China. DONG and CHEN stored the imported counterfeit goods in two warehouses with the intent to transfer the goods to retailers in New York City, including a Manhattan retail store operated by CHEN, and elsewhere. On October 27, 2016, federal and New York City law enforcement officers conducted a search of DONG and CHEN’s residence, warehouses, and retail store, and found more than 30,000 pieces of counterfeit goods, including handbags and wallets, for various luxury and designer brands.
DONG, 49, and CHEN, 48, of Bayside, New York, are both charged with one count of conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods, and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
