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August 28, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Through a review of operational case studies, best practices and industry perspectives, the 11th annual International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference also aims to shape effective enforcement strategies.

August 22, 2017
|National Security, Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud, Contraband

The center will focus on identifying intellectual property rights violations, public health and safety threats, and compliance with import and export laws. It will work with a variety of federal agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Transportation to enforce these laws. The Virginia TECC is the 12th in the country.

July 24, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Rosario La Marca, 54, a resident of Naples, Italy, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to count one of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, to smuggle goods into the United States, and to structure financial transactions, and count two, charging him with trafficking in counterfeit goods.

June 28, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

The criminal complaint alleges that Carolina Aguilar Rodriguez, 47, aka “Doctora” sold the counterfeit Diprospan to undercover federal agents on at least five occasions. According to the charges, Rodriguez was not licensed to dispense prescription medications in Texas, and Naturavida was not licensed as a Texas pharmacy.

May 15, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Michael Chihwen Wang, 49, of Buena Park, California, was the vice president of CYU Lithographics Inc., doing business as Choice Lithographics in Buena Park. Between July 2015 and December 2016, Wang directed the manufacture of counterfeit trademarked Frontline, Frontline Plus and Merial veterinary product labels and shipped them to Houston.

May 5, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Dina Gonzalez-Marquez, 23, and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez, 21, were arrested Wednesday for allegedly operating a counterfeit airbag business out of their Albuquerque residence.

April 3, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Paul S. Rodriguez Jr., 48, was the CEO of Action Packing and Design Inc. in Santa Ana, California. Between July 2015 and December 2016, Rodriguez intentionally trafficked in counterfeit labels and packaging by manufacturing, then shipping to Houston, counterfeit and trademarked Frontline, Frontline Plus and Merial veterinary product labels and packaging.

March 28, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Marc Merwin Snyder, 64, formerly of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy, three counts of smuggling of misbranded drugs, one count of receipt and delivery of misbranded drugs, four counts of misbranding by dispensing prescription drugs without a valid prescription, four counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

March 22, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

In the past, seized cosmetics have been found to contain hazardous substances including cyanide, arsenic, mercury, lead, urine and rat droppings. Fake condoms will not guard the user against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

March 22, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Joseph Jinn, also known as Tzong Hwan Jinn, 60, of Diamond Bar, admitted in a plea agreement filed in federal court that he imported Tadalafil, Sildenafil, and Dapoxetine – the active ingredients in pharmaceutical medications such as Viagra and Cialis – by falsely claiming to customs officials that the multi-kilogram shipments were “cooked powder and tools,” “Chinese bread baking mixture,” and other innocuous materials.

February 23, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Andreina Becerra, 31, a Venezuelan national, Roberto Volpe, 34, an Italian national, and Rosario La Marca, 54, an Italian national and resident of Naples, Italy, were originally charged in an eight-count indictment returned in April 2015 with importing and trafficking fake iPhones, iPads and iPods bearing counterfeit Apple trademarks, and fake camcorders bearing counterfeit Sony trademarks, as well as smuggling, structuring and international money laundering.

February 6, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud, Cyber Crimes

Allen Smith, 50, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced Feb. 6 by U.S. District Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas.  In addition to his prison term, Smith was ordered to pay $867,150 in restitution and to forfeit $42,269 worth of illicit proceeds.

February 2, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud
Bu Young Kim, 40, and Chan Hui Cho, 40, both of Brooklyn, New York, appeared in court Jan. 25 to answer to the charges, which stem from a probe by ICE's HSI and the FDA.
February 2, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud
The results from Operation Team Player, a year-round effort developed by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) to crackdown on the illegal importation of counterfeit sports apparel and merchandise, were revealed at a press conference hosted by the NFL with participation from ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Houston Police Department, Harris County District Attorney’s Office and Harris County Constable’s Office.
January 25, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

David Brian Henrichsen, 51, a former police officer in Colorado Springs, Colorado, pleaded guilty to one count of computer crime to commit theft, and was fined $7,500 by Adams County District Judge Ted Tow for his role in the criminal enterprise.

January 19, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Sherrie Householder, 59, of Nixa, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Householder to pay $8,866,069 in restitution. Wang “Frank” Luo, a Chinese citizen, owned Flash Tech, while Householder managed the company’s activities in the United States.

January 18, 2017
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

The timber was seized Dec. 20, 2015 by HSI at the Port of Houston, Texas for violation of the Lacey Act and customs law. It was destroyed in accordance with a settlement agreement reached by the United States and the importer of the timber, Oregon-based Popp Forest Products Inc.

December 14, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

The operation, named “Surge Protector”, will focus on electronics vulnerable to counterfeiting, including phony digital media devices, power adapters and consumer technology powered by lithium ion batteries. 

December 13, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Sean Gerson, 48, the owner of a business called Vaccination Services in Lake Forest, was taken into custody by special agents with ICE HSI, the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the EPA. Gerson is scheduled to make his initial appearance Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

December 12, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

The Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) for Intellectual Property Enforcement, titled “Supporting Innovation, Creativity & Enterprise: Charting a Path Ahead”, identifies overarching goals, mandated objectives and collaborative initiatives to be implemented by the ICE-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) over the next three years. 

December 6, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Martez Alando Gurley, 41, and Victor Lamar Coates, 47, admitted that they each trafficked more than 10,000 counterfeit tablets. On Dec. 6, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Gurley to 75 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $410,508 in restitution to Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company — the licensed patent trademark holders of Viagra and Cialis.

November 28, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

There were roughly 15,000 illegal websites seized and 48,000 erroneous ecommerce links removed over the past year as part of Operation In Our Sites VII, an effort conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Europol, Interpol and members of industry to crackdown on individuals using the Internet to peddle bogus goods and other copyright-protected material that threaten the health and safety of shoppers.

November 23, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud, Cyber Crimes

In 2015, the number of seizures made nationally due to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations increased 25 percent from the previous year, totaling more than 28,000 seizures with an estimated value of more than $1.3 billion.

November 15, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

Marc Misko, 62, pleaded guilty in Adams County to solicitation to commit money laundering and was fined $7,500. Mitchell Misko, 62, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft and was fined $5,000.

November 3, 2016
|Intellectual Property Rights and Commercial Fraud

During a search of the woman’s residence, HSI special agents recovered counterfeit lipsticks, hair styling products, eyelash adhesive, powder compacts, eye shadow, eye liner, as well as electronic curlers and straighteners.

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