Kent Man Pleads Guilty to Importing, Selling $500,000 in Counterfeit Luxury Vehicle Accessories
A man from Kent, Wash., pleaded guilty on Aug. 21 to trafficking over $500,000 in counterfeit luxury vehicle parts and accessories, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Washington. According to the plea agreement, Guoxiong Xian owns 3 Ways, which sells auto parts like license plate frames, automobile logos and other decorative items over the internet. From November 2008 to April 2013, Xian sold around $538,000 worth of Chinese counterfeit automobile accessories, bearing trademarks that belong to companies such as BMW, Mercedes and Toyota. In January 2013, Xian sold various counterfeit accessories to an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the release said.
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The sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22, where Xian will face up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Xian has also agreed to make restitution to multiple automobile companies, including BMW/Mini, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors Corporation.