Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has dropped a bombshell on the counterfeit apparel market, announcing that Zi Yu Zheng, 57, Xiao Ling Wei, 56, and Ling Wu Wei, 50, all from Maryland, have been hit with serious charges for orchestrating a scheme to peddle knockoff goods under high-profile trademarks.
The trio, according to federal prosecutors, ran the Guang Da Group, a retail store and warehouse in Northeast DC, where they sold clothing, shoes, jewelry, and bags that were near-identical to those from designer brands such as Burberry, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. The indictment claims that the defendants maintained a trove of official trademarks for these companies, which they used to mislead customers into thinking they were purchasing authentic items.
Law enforcement alleges that the Guang Da Group took extreme measures to avoid detection. They limited access to their warehouse, banned cell phones, and kept a clandestine showroom hidden behind a dummy emergency door. The operation was eventually unraveled through a series of controlled purchases by confidential sources and an undercover agent.
In addition to conspiracy charges, Zi Yu Zheng and Xiao Ling Wei face one count each of trafficking in counterfeit goods, while Ling Wu Wei is charged with two counts under the same statute. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison for trafficking and five years for conspiracy.
The investigation leading to these charges was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando is handling the prosecution.
Despite the serious allegations, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
RELATED: DC Counterfeit Ring Busted: Guang Da Group Trio Indicted
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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