Federal authorities in Florida have filed an eight-count indictment charging two individuals and their companies with smuggling hazardous toys into the United States.
It's one of the first major cases to be filed as federal agencies step up their efforts to intercept dangerous consumer products at their point of entry, rather than trying to recall them once they are in the hands of consumers.
Charged in the indictments were Hung Lam, 55, and Isabella Kit Yeung, 37, both of Miami-Dade County, and Florida corporations LM Import-Export, Inc. (LM), Lam’s Investment Corp. (LIC), and LK Toys Corporation (LK).
They're charged with conspiracy to traffic and smuggle children’s products, including toys, containing banned hazardous substances, such as lead and small parts; trafficking in counterfeit goods; smuggling goods contrary to law; entry of goods pursuant to false statements; and false label country of origin.
In addition, the U.S. is seeking the forfeiture of money and other property used in connection with these crimes, including the LM Warehouse. The defendants made their initial appearances in court Monday (Jan. 23).
According to the filed Information, from approximately April 2000 through May 2011, the defendants conspired to sell and distribute in commerce children’s products imported from China in violation of the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. These products allegedly presented the risk of choking, aspiration, and ingestion, and some contained lead above the allowed statutory limits.
According to the allegations in the Information, the defendants imported these products by means of false statements on custom declaration forms.
If convicted on the charges in Count 1, defendants Lam and Yeung face a statutory maximum sentence of up to five years in prison. If convicted of Counts 2 and 3, Lam and Yeung face a statutory maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison. If convicted of Counts 4 and 5, Lam and Yeung face a possible statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of Counts 6 and 7, Lam and Yeung face a statutory maximum sentence of up to two years in prison. Lastly, if convicted on Count 8, Yeung faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to one year imprisonment. The corporate defendants face maximum fines of $500,000 on each count.
Lydia Pol (Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:13:22 +0000): 11 years? 11 years to get these two, then we the taxpayers must pay for their court proceedings....but wait....11 years they have been watched (maybe) and so for 11 years those toys were shipped to stores and sold. Excuse me, but for 11 years these people have been making profit on the trash that comes from china, who knows how many children have been put at risk because our fedural autority sucks when it comes to illegal garbage from another country, but quick to subdue american citizens in airports, bash down private home doors on a "whim".
Welcome to the stinking armpit called amerika!