The Ninth Circuit’s May 21 decision in U.S. v. Chen says a lot about the folks who make money selling counterfeit goods. Not surprisingly, they make money a whole lot of nasty ways.
Mr. Chen was convicted of trafficking in counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes.
But that’s not all.
The first line of the opinion summarizes his misdeeds: “Yi Qing Chen appeals his conviction and sentence on five counts involving smuggling of cocaine, methamphetamine, cigarettes, and missiles.”
Missiles?!
That’s right. A guy who transported “roughly 8 million cigarettes” also conspired “to acquire missiles designed to destroy aircraft.”
The court found: “In his post-arrest statement Chen stated that the missiles would have been delivered” if he had been paid.
Wow!
Counterfeiters are criminals. It shouldn’t be surprising some of them are involved in selling more than fake consumer goods.
The case cite is United States v. Yi Qing Chen, No. 11-50196, 2013 WL 2177019 (9th Cir. May 21, 2013).