LOS ANGELES
A San Gabriel woman was indicted Friday on federal charges of importing and selling counterfeit luxury goods, including items falsely branded as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel.
Chaoyan Zhang, 33, faces four counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods. Her arraignment is set for May 8 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
According to court documents, Zhang worked at Mitchelle Inc., a store located within a San Gabriel superstore, where she allegedly sold counterfeit designer clothing and accessories imported from Hong Kong. She reportedly sold nine counterfeit items to an undercover buyer for $490.
Zhang was arrested on April 9 after law enforcement seized counterfeit merchandise from the store worth an estimated $1 million if authentic.
If convicted, officials stated that Zhang faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each count.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations’ Global Trade Investigations Group. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua J. Lee is prosecuting.