Seven Queens residents last week were charged with trademark counterfeiting, and more than $2.2 million worth of fake designer handbags, gloves, wallets, watches and other items bearing the logos of various designers—including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Prada—were seized from various storage locations from which the defendants allegedly operated, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
Naqing Zhang, 31, and his wife, Wei Wei Dong, 32, of Willets Point; Chin Chu, 43, and his wife, Jian Xia, 38, of Flushing; Sai Chen, 39, also of Flushing; Wei Liao, 41, of Jamaica; and Pizhong Zhou, 22, of Douglaston were arraigned last Wednesday on charges of second-degree trademark counterfeiting and released on their own recognizance.
Brown said that the investigation—dubbed “Operation Treasure Hunt”—leading to the charges and arrests began earlier this summer when the city Police Department’s Organized Crime Investigations Bureau began a joint investigation with the Department of Homeland Security and the District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau into the illegal sale of counterfeit goods.
Bratton added, “Trademark counterfeiting is a global economic problem that costs manufacturers millions of dollars which translates into the loss of jobs for many hardworking people.”
The defendants are due back in court on Jan. 27. Each face up to four years in prison if convicted.
