Chinese Counterfeiter Busted for Selling $1.1M of Fake iPhones and iPads

A Chinese counterfeiter who participated in a scheme to traffic and smuggle counterfeit products mimicking Apple's iPhones and iPads today pled guilty to trafficking and conspiracy charges, according to a press release shared on the website of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jianhua "Jeff" Li, working through a company called Dream Digitals, conspired with several other individuals to smuggle more than 40,000 fake iPads, iPhones, and accessories into the United States from China from 2009 to 2014. The electronic devices in question included labels and packaging bearing counterfeit Apple trademarks.

To get the counterfeit products into the country, Li shipped the devices separately from the counterfeit trademarks. Fake devices were sent all over the United States, and proceeds from the sales were funneled into bank accounts in Florida and New Jersey.

Li, who was officially charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and labels and to smuggle goods into the United States and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, received payments totaling more than $1.1 million from U.S. accounts.

Li could be facing several years in prison for his crime. A co-conspirator, Rosario LaMarca, was sentenced to 37 months in prison back in July, while two others Li worked with, Roberto Volpe and Andreina Becerra, are awaiting sentencing.