New York couple arrested for importing counterfeit products from China

A married couple have been arrested in New York for conspiring to traffic counterfeit goods.

Daye Dong, 49, and Hongyu Chen, 48, who were arrested on Thursday, October 27, had imported counterfeit goods from China into the US with the intention of selling them to retailers in New York and elsewhere.

According to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) press release, the couple imported counterfeit luxury and designer goods and stored the imported products in two warehouses.

More than 30,000 counterfeit goods were found, including handbags and wallets.

The arrest followed an investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit in New York.

Angel Melendez, HSI New York special agent in charge, said: “People wrongly assume intellectual property theft is a victimless crime.”

He added: “The reality is individuals like those charged today are robbing from law-abiding merchants and from the legitimate companies that manufacture these items. Brand name knockoffs are not a harmless way to beat the system.”

The Customs Border Protection (CBP) and New York Police Department (NYPD) are also investigating the case.

Preet Bharara, US attorney for the southern district of New York, said: “These defendants allegedly sold counterfeit goods, fuelling consumers’ desire for low prices on high-end products. But the cheap prices come at a high price for legitimate businesses.”

He added: “Protection of intellectual property remains an important priority for my office and for our partners at CBP, ICE, and the NYPD.”