US federal authorities on Wednesday announced the arrests of 11 people from a group of 14 indicted for tricking Apple into accepting about almost 10,000 fake iPhones and iPads and replacing them with genuine iDevices.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said it had served 11 search warrants covering two businesses and several homes and vehicles in the San Diego, California, area and come up with $250,000 in cash and 90 iPhones that will be tested for authenticity.
Three individuals said to be involved in the scheme remain at large including Xiamon Zhong, believed to be in China, Charley Hsu of San Diego and Hyo Weon Yang of San Francisco.
The raids stem from the indictments related to an alleged scheme to import fake iPhones and iPads from China, marked with IMEI and serial numbers copied from authentic devices, in order to return them to Apple for genuine replacements, which were then shipped back to China to be sold there.
The US Attorney’s Office says three brothers, naturalized US citizens born in China, ran the operation – Liao Zhiwei, Liao Zhimin and Liao Zhiting – which led to losses Apple puts at more than $6m. The other defendants are said to be mostly naturalized citizens from China, Russia, and Vietnam.
In a statement, US Attorney Robert Brewer said this prosecution is about more than just monetary losses. "The manufacture of counterfeit goods – and their use to defraud US companies – seeks to fundamentally undermine the marketplace and harms innocent people whose identities were stolen in furtherance of these activities," said Brewer.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday November 17 2019, @04:31AM
Let's get it started here. The Chink menace starts on the west coast. They know the time is short, and that is why it starts here. Now.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by fustakrakich on Sunday November 17 2019, @04:45AM
Can't they just hijack a truck leaving the factory?
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @05:14AM
I am looking at you, Amazon. I liked you back when you were selling books.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @05:55AM (3 children)
What skills did they bring to the table to qualify for visas to live here?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @07:28AM
Entrepreneurship!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @02:53PM
How to play the welfare system.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 18 2019, @02:06AM
Higher versatility than most of the American politician.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Sunday November 17 2019, @09:12AM (2 children)
Beat the boss with his own weapon kind of thing?
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @09:24PM
They'll be awarded 5-10 years
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 18 2019, @02:08AM
No. Sadly.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @10:30AM
Somebody indict the jewish bankers that sold fake assets to everybody. They sold a piece of paper they said was equivalent to money, which it wasn't. First they manipulate market to raise prices then they sell and then they dump. Indicting chinese fakers is easy; jewish bankers is not. The system is rigged.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 17 2019, @05:28PM
Those 10,000 'fake' [backdoored & rootkitted] iPhones & iPads were intended for sale to Registered Sex Offenders residing in the USA. They have unique surveillance & tracking capabilities that normal iPhones & iPads don't.
How to steal an American city: Montes v. City of Yakima - https://www.aclu-wa.org/cases/montes-v-city-yakima-0 [aclu-wa.org]
Embezzlement & swindling at the state level: McCleary, et al. v. State of Washington - Supreme Court Case Number 84362-7: https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supremecourt/?fa=supremecourt.mccleary_education [wa.gov]