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On April 16, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a 44-year-old man in California for overseeing a scheme to smuggle $72 million in counterfeit Apple and Samsung cellphone components from China.\\xa0

Chan Hung Le owns Irvine-CA based EZ Elektronix, which he used as part of an elaborate plot to import counterfeit screens and other components while skirting law enforcement.\\xa0

The scheme started in June 2010 when Le and his co-conspirators, including relatives and EZ Elektronix employees, used various methods to evade authorities. For example, Le used multiple business names and addresses, as well as \\u201cvirtual offices\\u201d and post office boxes, in at least three U.S. states.\\xa0

The company certainly has a nefarious past. In October 2011 and February 2012, EZ Elektronix\\u2019s office was raided and authorities seized about 7,200 counterfeit iPhone parts and 11,700 other counterfeit cell phone parts worth more than $1.7 million.\\xa0

After the raid, Le switched up his scam and had the counterfeit goods sent to two fake companies\\xa0 in Texas and Oklahoma. After the parts arrived, they were shipped to Southern California under the name "Pac-Depot Inc.\\u201d while legitimate merchandise was shipped directly to EZ Elektronix. This allowed the parts to be inspected at different U.S. ports and did not appear to be associated with Le or his company.\\xa0

In 2016, Hongwei \\u201cNick\\u201d Du, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic counterfeit goods and money laundering. Du was one of Le's suppliers, and admitted to selling him at least $18.7 million worth of components. He said that at least half of the parts were counterfeits bearing the trademarks of Apple, Samsung, Nokia and other companies.

From January 2012 to December 2018, EZ Elektronix paid more than $72 million to three companies who helped Le import the fake parts, many of which were found by authorities when he was arrested.\\xa0

If convicted, Le faces up to 45 years in federal prison.

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