Trade Fraud Case Tracker
Closed Cases (31)
Resolved trade fraud enforcement actions with outcomes and penalties
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Closed Cases (31 Resolutions)
Closed Cases: Resolutions, Settlements & Guilty Pleas
U.S. Trade-Related Customs Fraud (2023-2026)
31
Unique Cases
32 total entries
$316.8M
Total Penalties
5.6 yrs
Avg Fraud Duration
Time fraud occurred
8.2 yrs
Avg Time to Resolution
From fraud start to case closed
| Year Resolved | Case Name | Fraud Period | Industry | Matter Type | Conduct Summary | Amount | Jail Term | Charging Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Boise Cascade Company | 2018 - 2021 | Hardwood plywood / building products | Criminal - Lacey Act Felony / Customs Duty Evasion (AD/CVD) | Purchased and resold Chinese-origin hardwood plywood from Horizon Plywood knowing it was transshipped via Malaysia to evade AD/CVD duties exceeding 200%; continued ordering after federal search warrant executed at supplier. (Related: Quintana/Horizon case.) | $6.382M | No incarceration (corporate defendant); guilty plea + mandatory compliance plan | USAO S.D. Florida / DOJ ENRD - Environmental Crimes Section |
| 2026 | Echelon Fitness Multimedia LLC | Sept 2019 - Jan 2023 | Connected fitness equipment (smart bikes/treadmills/rowers) | FCA - Civil (Qui Tam) | Underreported cost of Chinese-manufactured fitness equipment and omitted value of bundled tablets on customs invoices to reduce tariffs and import assessments. | $2.1M | No incarceration (civil settlement) | USAO E.D. Tennessee |
| 2025 | Ceratizit USA LLC | Aug 2020 - Mar 2024 (origin); Jun 2015 - Mar 2024 (classification) | Tungsten carbide | FCA - Civil (Qui Tam) | Misclassified and undervalued Chinese tungsten carbide imports to evade customs duties and antidumping/countervailing duties. | $54.4M | No incarceration | USAO E.D. Michigan / DOJ Civil Division |
| 2025 | Wanxiang America Corp | Oct 2007 - Sep 2012 | Automotive components | Tariff Act - Civil Penalty | Misclassified Chinese automotive wheel hubs and tapered roller bearings to evade antidumping and countervailing duties. View case docket | $53M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Commercial Litigation Branch |
| 2025 | C'est Toi Jeans Inc. / Si Oh Rhew + Lance Rhew | Multiple years | Apparel (LA Fashion District) | Criminal - Smuggling / Money Laundering | Undervalued $51M+ in apparel imports, engaged in money laundering and tax evasion through Fashion District operation. | $30.5M | Si Oh Rhew: 8 yrs 7 mos; Lance Rhew: prison term | USAO C.D. California |
| 2025 | Monish Doshi Shah (individual) | Dec 2019 - Apr 2022 | Jewelry | Criminal - Wire Fraud / Smuggling | Evaded customs duties on $13.5M in jewelry imports from India through wire fraud and unlicensed money transmitting. | $13.5M | 30 months | USAO D. New Jersey |
| 2025 | Allied Stone Inc. & president | Sep 2018 - Feb 2023 | Quartz surface products | FCA - Civil | Misclassified Chinese quartz surface products to evade antidumping and countervailing duties. | $12.4M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Fraud Section |
| 2025 | Harman International | Jun 2011 - Mar 2023 | Audio electronics (aluminum) | FCA - Civil | Evaded antidumping and countervailing duties on Chinese extruded aluminum used in audio electronics products. | $11.8M | No incarceration | USAO E.D. Michigan |
| 2025 | Global Plastics / MGI International (civil) | May 2019 onwards | Plastic resin | FCA - Civil | Voluntarily disclosed misrepresentation of origin and manufacturer of Chinese plastic resin to evade Section 301 duties. | $6.8M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Fraud Section |
| 2025 | Rayson Global Inc. | Sept 2018 - Nov 2019 | General imports | Tariff Act - Civil Penalty | False declarations on customs entries to underpay duties; CIT default judgment with $2.4M duties and $3.4M penalty. View case file | $5.8M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Commercial Litigation Branch |
| 2025 | Grosfillex Inc. | Jan 2014 - Dec 2021 | Patio furniture (aluminum) | FCA - Civil | Evaded antidumping and countervailing duties on Chinese extruded aluminum used in patio furniture. View case docket | $4.9M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Fraud Section |
| 2025 | Thao Duong & Lam Mai (Texas couple) | 2011 - 2022 | Pesticides / Veterinary drugs | Criminal - Smuggling / FIFRA, FDCA Violations | Operated website selling smuggled Mexican pesticides and misbranded veterinary drugs; $2.4M in smuggled merchandise imported through Calexico Port of Entry from 2018-2022. | $2.4M | Guilty pleas; sentencing pending | ENRD / USAO N.D. Texas |
| 2025 | Able Groupe Inc. (Little Bundle / Huggable) | 2019 - 2021 | Infant formula (European imports) | Criminal - Smuggling / FDA Violations | Used false descriptions to smuggle European infant formula into U.S., evading FDA detection and prior notice requirements; 76K units recalled. | $2.3M | Corporate plea; sentencing pending | DOJ Criminal Division / USAO D. Massachusetts |
| 2025 | Global Plastics / MGI (David Guimond, former COO) | 2021 | Plastic resin | Criminal - Individual | Individual plea for conspiring to misrepresent origin and manufacturer of plastic resin to evade Section 301 duties. | Credited in civil | Up to 24 months sought (max 5 yrs) | DOJ Criminal Division / USAO D. Massachusetts |
| 2025 | Adrian Garcia-Hernandez & Waldemar Ojeda Ramos (Puerto Rico animal drugs) | 2023 - 2024 | Animal drugs (xylazine) | Criminal - FDCA Violations | Introduced adulterated animal drugs (xylazine) into Puerto Rico from Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina without FDA approval; coordinated through DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force. | N/A | Guilty pleas; sentencing pending | USAO D. Puerto Rico |
| 2024 | Ford Motor Company | Apr 2009 - Aug 2013 | Automotive (vans) | Tariff Act - Civil Penalty | Misclassified Transit Connect cargo vans as passenger vehicles to evade 25% duty over multiple years. | $365M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Commercial Litigation Branch |
| 2024 | Noel & Kelsy Hernandez Quintana + Marta Angelbello (Horizon Plywood) | Feb 2016 - Dec 2020 | Hardwood plywood | Criminal - Conspiracy / Lacey Act / Smuggling / Customs Fraud | Transshipped $25M-$65M of Chinese hardwood plywood through Malaysia and Sri Lanka using seven shell companies to evade AD/CVD duties (>200%); falsified species and country of origin on customs declarations. (Related: Boise Cascade case.) | $44.05M | Noel Quintana: 57 months + 3 yrs supervised release; Kelsy Quintana: 57 months + 3 yrs supervised release; Angelbello: 3 yrs probation incl. 90 days home detention | USAO S.D. Florida / DOJ ENRD - Environmental Crimes Section |
| 2024 | Precision Cable Assemblies & Global Engineered Products | 2016 - Nov 2021 | Industrial cable/components | FCA - Civil | Evaded customs duties on imported industrial cable assemblies and components through misclassification. | $10M | No incarceration | USAO E.D. Wisconsin |
| 2024 | Evolutions Flooring Inc. & owners (Mengya Lin, Jin Qian) | Sept 2019 - July 2022 | Multilayered wood flooring | FCA - Civil | Misrepresented product type and country of origin to evade antidumping duties on Chinese multilayered wood flooring. | $8.1M | No incarceration | DOJ Civil Division - Fraud Section |
| 2024 | Alexis LLC (womenswear) | Jan 2015 - Dec 2022 | Apparel | FCA - Civil (Qui Tam) | Misclassified and undervalued women's apparel imports to evade customs duties. | $7.6M | No incarceration | USAO S.D. Florida |
| 2024 | Penta International & owner | Jan 2016 - Aug 2021 | General imports | Civil + Criminal Admission | Owner admitted to evading U.S. customs duties through false statements; company paid civil penalty. | $3.1M | Guilty plea; no incarceration | USAO D. New Jersey |
| 2024 | Yakima Products Inc. | Jan 2012 - Jul 2021 | Automobile accessories | Tariff Act - Civil Settlement | Failed to pay required customs duties on extruded aluminum used in automobile accessories. | $3M | No incarceration | USAO W.D. Washington |
| 2024 | Hector Samuel Esquijerosa (Miami tire importer) | Sept 2018 - Jan 2023 | Truck tires (Chinese) | Criminal - Smuggling | Transshipped Chinese truck tires through false origin documentation and invoices to evade U.S. tariffs. | $1.9M | Time served + 3 yrs supervised release | USAO S.D. Florida |
| 2024 | Akua Mosaics Inc. + Kenneth Fleming (president) | 2021 - 2022 | Porcelain mosaic tiles (Chinese misrepresented as Malaysian) | Criminal - Smuggling | Conspired to defraud U.S. by falsely representing Chinese porcelain mosaic tiles as Malaysian origin to evade antidumping/countervailing duties. | >$1M | Guilty plea; sentencing pending | USAO District of Puerto Rico |
| 2023 | International Vitamins Corp. | 2015 - 2019 | Health supplements/vitamins | FCA - Civil (Qui Tam) | Misclassified vitamin and dietary supplement imports to underpay customs duties over multiple years. | $22.8M | No incarceration | USAO S.D. New York |
| 2023 | ADCO (Dallas importer + Chinese companies) | Multiple years | Industrial products | Tariff Act - Civil Resolution | Underpaid customs duties on Chinese industrial products through false statements to CBP. | $2.5M | No incarceration | USAO N.D. Texas |
| 2023 | Anyclo International Inc. | Oct 2012 - Aug 2019 | Apparel | Civil + Criminal Admission | Korean clothing manufacturer admitted to evading U.S. customs duties on apparel imports; paid civil penalty. | $2.3M | No incarceration | USAO D. New Jersey |
| 2023 | King Kong Tools LLC | Multiple years | Industrial cutting tools | FCA - Civil (Qui Tam) | Falsely labeled Chinese-manufactured cutting tools as 'Made in Germany' to evade duties and deceive customers. | $1.9M | No incarceration | USAO N.D. Georgia |
| 2023 | Highlife LLC | Jan 2016 - Jun 2016 | Apparel | Tariff Act - Civil Fraud | Underreported value of imported apparel to underpay customs duties. | $1.3M | No incarceration | USAO S.D. New York |
| 2023 | Trading Company - Imported Footwear (SDNY) | May 2016 - Dec 2018 | Footwear | Tariff Act - Civil Fraud | Used false or misleading values and classifications to underpay customs duties on imported footwear. | $1M | No incarceration | USAO S.D. New York |
| 2023 | Homestar North America, LLC | Sep 2018 - Dec 2022 | Furniture/household goods | Tariff Act - Civil Settlement | Underpaid customs duties on imported furniture and household goods through false statements and undervaluation. | $800K | No incarceration | USAO E.D. Texas |
| 2023 | Yogibo LLC | 2016 - 2022 | Furniture (bean bags) | FCA - Civil (Qui Tam) | Misrepresented country of origin on bean bag furniture imports to underpay customs duties. | $217K | No incarceration | USAO D. Massachusetts |
Showing 32 entries
Note: Some cases have both civil and criminal components shown as separate entries. Case counts reflect 31 unique cases.