N.Y.C. Couple Pleads Guilty to Importing Counterfeit Nike Sneakers from China
A New York City couple pleaded guilty to conspiring to import misclassified merchandise in a scheme to import and sell counterfeit Nike sneakers, said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. ICE alleged that Ling Zhen Hu, 51, worked for an individual who imported thousands of pairs of sneakers from China that bore the Nike “swoosh” logo and Nike labeling, but were not genuine Nike sneakers. Hu then negotiated the sale of large quantities of the mislabeled sneakers to a Montreal man, Malik Bazzi, who then sold them to customers throughout the U.S. via his warehouses in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Hu’s husband, Xiao Cheng Lin, 50, delivered the sneakers to Bazzi, ICE said. According to ICE, the investigation revealed that Bazzi’s customers then sold the counterfeit Nike sneakers on the street and in retail stores for about half the price of genuine Nike sneakers.
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As part of their plea agreements, both Lin and Hu agreed to abandon any claim to more than $600,000 and dozens of pairs of counterfeit sneakers seized from their New York residence following their 2007 arrest, ICE said. The defendants were arrested along with 21 others. To date, 20 of the defendants have been convicted.
Five individuals have pleaded guilty to conspiring to import misclassified merchandise in connection with the scheme, ICE said. Each faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.