News Releases and Statements
News Releases and Statements
A Virginia woman was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for leading a sophisticated conspiracy to import and to sell counterfeit Cisco-branded computer networking equipment, laundering criminal proceeds and obtaining her citizenship through fraud. This case was investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The Tampa Intellectual Property Theft Enforcement Team met with industry representatives last month to discuss the emerging threat of intellectual property theft and its connection to criminal enterprises.
The indictment charged the following individuals: Hana Amal Beshara, 29, of North Brunswick, N.J., and Matthew David Howard Smith, 23, of Raleigh, N.C., identified in the indictment as founders and administrators of NinjaVideo; Joshua David Evans, 34, of North Bend, Wash., and Zoi Mertzanis, 36, a resident of Greece, alleged to be two of the most active uploaders of copyrighted material to the site; and Jeremy Lynn Andrew, 33, of Eugene, Ore., the alleged head of security for the website.
A Queens man, who allegedly streamed live copyrighted sporting events over the Internet illegally, was arrested this morning by agents with ICE's HSI.
Donald H. Cone of Frederick, Md., was sentenced last Thursday to 30 months in prison for his role in a sophisticated conspiracy to import and sell counterfeit Cisco-branded computer networking equipment. This sentence is the result of an investigation conducted ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Jacinda Jones of Ypsilanti, Mich. was sentenced today to two years in prison for selling more than $400,000 worth of counterfeit computer software after an extensive investigation by IPR Center in Washington.
The theft of so-called intellectual property - creative expressions like trade secrets, proprietary products and parts, literature, music, and films - comes at a high price.
Shaoxiong Zhou, 42, and Shaoxia Huang, 33, both of Shantou, Guangdong, China, pleaded guilty to one count each of trafficking in counterfeit goods. Zhou pleaded guilty on Aug. 5, 2011, and Huang pleaded guilty on Aug. 3, 2011
A former Sacramento retailer is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court here Friday afternoon following his arrest on charges of trafficking in counterfeit goods.
U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served court orders seizing 16 domain names of websites selling counterfeit goods over the Internet and arrested an upstate New York man for producing and selling counterfeit goods. This operation, dubbed "Shoe Clerk," is the sixth phase of "Operation in Our Sites".
"U.S. ICE doesn't take counterfeit drugs lightly. ""It is intellectual property theft,"" said Robert Rutt, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Coordination Center. ""But these criminals aren't just stealing someone's idea. They are playing with people's lives."""
Following the arrest of those charged, an indictment was unsealed on Tuesday which charges seven area residents with operating an interstate over-the-counter (OTC) drug theft and fencing ring, structuring and money laundering.
Counterfeit Major League Baseball clothing seized during World Series being donated to Haiti's needy
More than 2,000 items of counterfeit Major League Baseball (MLB) clothing seized by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in San Francisco during last year's baseball playoffs will soon be on their way to the needy in Haiti.
In Sept. 2010, law enforcement executed search warrants and seized 3,600 counterfeit items worth over $400,000 from three stores owned by Marvin Anthony Johnson, 47, of Baltimore.
James Clayton Baxter, 28, infringed the copyrighted works of Adobe Systems Inc. by reproducing copies of their software for his financial gain. The Wichita Falls Police Department (WFPD) had previously dealt with Baxter selling infringing software in a 2004 investigation of him for credit card abuse.
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) has announced 'Operation Chain Reaction,' a new comprehensive initiative targeting counterfeit items entering the supply chains of the Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies.
Federal authorities have seized nearly $15 million from a Swiss bank account belonging to a former Bay Area man who fled the country following his indictment three years ago on federal charges for selling millions of dollars worth of counterfeit antivirus software over the Internet.
Randy Hucks was indicted for trafficking in counterfeit pharmaceuticals, including Cialis and Viagra tablets. He was conducting business under the name Fashionista Emporium, selling pharmaceuticals from China. The case is being investigated by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Food and Drug Administration.
Shengyang Zhou, aka "Tom," 31, of Kunming, Yunnan, China, was ordered to pay restitution totaling $504,815.39 to the victims of his crime, including an emergency room doctor from Texas who suffered a mild stroke from ingesting the counterfeit medication. Following his prison sentence, Zhou will be deported.
During the course of the operation, ICE HSI agents investigated websites suspected of selling counterfeit goods and illegally distributing copyrighted material in the United States. Once the materials were confirmed as counterfeit or otherwise illegal, seizure orders for the domain names of the websites that sold or distributed the items were obtained from federal magistrate judges.
The owner and manager of a popular Monterey Park, Calif., video store were arrested Monday morning by agents with U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on allegations they illegally imported and sold tens of thousands of Chinese movie DVDs bearing a counterfeit Dolby Digital trademark.
Two Los Angeles-area men will appear in state court here Friday to answer to charges stemming from a probe by U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Anaheim Police Department that they illegally imported $2 million in counterfeit collectable Disney pins from China and sought to sell them over the Internet.
A Los Angeles man pleaded guilty Monday to trafficking in counterfeit goods for bringing hundreds of bogus, Chinese-made Ab Circle Pro machines and related items into the United States.
A federal judge has sentenced the husband and wife owners of a downtown Los Angeles jewelry store to 37 months in prison for illegally importing and selling counterfeit designer jewelry, some of which tested positive for hazardous levels of lead nearly 20 times the amount deemed safe by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for handling by kids.
To coincide with World IP Day, ICE' HSI has launched a new PSA that aims to raise awareness of the economic impact of IP theft.
Updated:
Subscribe to ICE News