SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A Southern California man has been charged with a $72 million scheme to smuggle counterfeit Apple, Nokia and Samsung cellphone parts into the U.S. for sale.
Chan Hung Le of Laguna Hills was arrested Tuesday. He could face nearly 50 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.
Federal prosecutors contend that beginning in 2010, Le and others used his Irvine electronics company to import knockoff cellphone screens and other parts from China. Authorities say the firm paid more than $72 million to three companies that helped traffic the goods.
The phony parts allegedly were sold online as genuine.
Authorities say they seized thousands of phony parts at Le’s firm but he continued illegal imports through mail drops in Texas and Oklahoma.
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