Mother and son indicted for trafficking counterfeit goods, following ICE HSI led investigation

LAREDO, Texas – A mother and son were indicted Tuesday for trafficking counterfeit goods.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents assigned to Laredo are conducting the investigation.

A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment against Bok Nyo Kim, 72, a legal permanent resident and Henry Yuseok Kim, 45, both citizens of South Korea residing in Laredo. Both were originally charged by criminal complaint. They are expected to appear before a federal judge for their initial appearance on the indictment in the near future.

According to court documents, the investigation began Feb. 3. At that time, Henry Kim, part-owner of Fashion Outlet, allegedly sold a counterfeit t-shirt purporting to be Louis Vuitton. Authorities then seized approximately 346 items of counterfeit merchandise from the store. The indictment alleges that during the seizure, Bok Kim identified herself as part-operator of Fashion Outlet. Both admitted to selling counterfeit clothing at Fashion Outlet for financial gain and shared control over the business. Bok Kim allegedly admitted to purchasing counterfeit merchandise from wholesalers in California. The indictment further alleges both individuals had knowledge of a prior seizure notice authorities had sent.

If convicted, both face up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac, Southern District of Texas, is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.