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Los Angeles Toy Importer Arrested for Counterfeit Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Mario Goods
posted on by Alex Mateo
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced on November 26 that Wan Piao, owner of a toy import store in El Monte, California, has been arrested and charged with manufacturing and possessing more than US$1.4 million in counterfeit goods.
According to Deputy District Attorney Duke Cha, Piao had more than 500,000 counterfeit items such as toys, backpacks, and cards that were based on brands including Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and Super Mario. Law enforcement discovered the items at Piao's two El Monte warehouses in March 2017.
Piao was arrested on November 1, and he was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday. He is charged with seven felony counts of counterfeit of a registered mark, as well as allegedly taking more than US$500,000 through fraud and embezzlement.
Sources: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, ICv2 (Jeffrey Dohm-Sanchez)
