{"id":13355,"date":"2015-07-02T12:02:04","date_gmt":"2015-07-02T19:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=13355"},"modified":"2015-07-02T12:06:46","modified_gmt":"2015-07-02T19:06:46","slug":"four-charged-with-trafficking-in-counterfeit-apple-and-sony-electronics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=13355","title":{"rendered":"Four Charged with Trafficking in Counterfeit Apple and Sony Electronics"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWARK, N.J.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"usdojseal\"<\/a>Four people were arraigned in federal court after being charged with allegedly smuggling counterfeit\u00a0\u00a0Sony Camcorders, Apple iPhones, iPads and iPods, from China for sale in the United States, officials announced Wednesday.<\/p>\n

A federal grand jury indicted Andreina Becerra,<\/strong> 30, a Venezuelan national;\u00a0Roberto Volpe,<\/strong> 33, an Italian national, both residing in Miami; Jianhua Li<\/strong>, 40, a Chinese national and resident of Guangzhou, China; and Rosario La Marca<\/strong>, 52, an Italian national and resident of Italy.<\/p>\n

The four are charged in an eight-count indictment with importing and trafficking fake iPhones, iPads and iPods bearing counterfeit Apple trademarks and fake Camcorders\u00a0bearing counterfeit Sony trademarks, as well as smuggling and international money laundering, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

The defendants were arrested last week in a coordinated multi-district effort by Homeland Security Investigations<\/strong> in Los Angeles, Miami and Newark.<\/p>\n

According to the allegations in the indictment, from July 2009 through February 2014, the defendants conspired to smuggle into the United States from China over 40,000 electronic devices and accessories, including fake iPads, iPhones and iPods, along with labels and packaging, most bearing counterfeit Apple trademarks.<\/p>\n

The indictment alleges that the estimated manufacturers\u2019 suggested retail prices for an equivalent number of genuine items would have exceeded $15 million.<\/p>\n

In order to avoid detection by U.S. Customs<\/strong> officials, officials said the devices often were shipped separately from the labels bearing counterfeit trademarks, and then were labeled and packaged after they passed through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.<\/p>\n

According to the indictment, the defendants then re-shipped the devices throughout the United States to co-conspirators.<\/p>\n

Proceeds from the sales of the devices were funneled back to the defendants\u2019 accounts in Florida and New Jersey via structured cash deposits \u2013 broken into multiple deposits of less than $10,000 each to avoid bank reporting requirements, the indictment alleges.<\/p>\n

Also a portion of the proceeds was then transferred to co-conspirators in Italy, further disguising the source of the funds. \u00a0The defendants made more than 100 illegal wire transfers totaling over $1.1 million to Li\u2019s Hong Kong accounts to facilitate their criminal activity, authorities stated.<\/p>\n

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.<\/p>\n

(CBS 2014 Report on Counterfeit Goods)<\/p>\n