PHILADELPHIA – In a major crackdown on counterfeit goods, Yangwei Li, also known as Jason Lee and Bryan Li, and his wife Yawen Huang, known as Yvonne Huang, have been sentenced to 18 months in prison each for their role in a massive scheme to import and sell counterfeit cell phones.
The defendants were indicted in September 2023 and pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud in November last year. United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney handed down the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release and $60,000 in restitution.
Starting in July 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted shipments of telephones and accessories at ports in Philadelphia, New York, and Louisville, addressed to Li under various aliases. The packages contained counterfeit trademarks from major brands like Samsung, Apple, and AKG, as well as fake Underwriters Laboratories symbols.
Between July 2018 and July 2020, Customs seized 24 shipments with a total retail value of nearly $350,000. When the items were seized, neither Li nor Huang responded to any notices from Customs or cease and desist letters from Samsung.
On April 2, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the couple’s residence in Philadelphia, where they found a cache of counterfeit items valued at approximately $224,197, including various charging kits for Apple and Samsung devices, headphones, and chargers. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Shapiro and Ruth Mandelbaum.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the extent to which organized crime can infiltrate the legitimate market, impacting consumers and legitimate businesses alike.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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