LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, MARK J. MERSHON, Assistant
Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (“FBI”), JOHN P. GILBRIDE, the Special Agent in
Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration
(“DEA”) and SALVATORE DALESSANDRO, the Acting Special
Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Department of
Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(“ICE”), announced the arrests today of six individuals — SAM
WANG, a/k/a “Hwa Shan Wang,” HUSSEIN NASSER, HUSSEIN CHAHINE,
HASSAN CHAHINE, ALI FAYAD NASSER, and COLIN TSAI, a/k/a “Chang-
Yeh Tsai” –- on charges that they conspired to import and
distribute millions of dollars worth of counterfeit clothing
bearing various urban and hip-hop-style designer labels.
According to Complaints filed in Manhattan federal court:
From August 2003 through November 2007, WANG, HUSSEIN
NASSER, HUSSEIN CHAHINE, HASSAN CHAHINE, ALI FAYAD NASSER and
TSAI imported counterfeit designer clothing from China, sold the
clothing in the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere in the
United States, and then laundered the proceeds from the illegal
sales. WANG was responsible for the manufacture in China of the
counterfeit clothing and its importation into the United States.
HUSSEIN NASSER owned and operated at least three clothing stores
in Manhattan, where he, HUSSEIN CHAHINE, HASSAN CHAHINE, and ALI
FAYAD NASSER received WANG’s counterfeit clothing and then sold
it to wholesale and retail customers.
TSAI worked as a freight forwarder based in Los Angeles, California, and received shipments of counterfeit merchandise from WANG and arranged for
their transportation to HUSSEIN NASSER and others in New York.
According to the Complaints, WANG shipped counterfeit
designer clothing until as recently as October 2007, and shipped
a total of more than $19.7 million worth of clothing between
August 2003 and November 2006. The stores owned and operated by
HUSSEIN NASSER and his associates included “Crown Ambassador
Trading Company,” located at 1171 Broadway, “Jeanius” located at
1157 Broadway, and “Sweat-N-Tee” located at 246 Fifth Avenue, in
Manhattan.
HUSSEIN NASSER, 27, HUSSEIN CHAHINE, 27, HASSAN
CHAHINE, 25, and ALI FAYAD NASSER, 25, were arrested today at
their residences in North Bergen, New Jersey. SAM WANG, 51, who
resides in Taiwan, was arrested today in Flushing, Queens. All
were presented before Magistrate Judge DEBRA C. FREEMAN today on
the charges contained in the Complaints. COLIN TSAI was arrested
today in California and is scheduled to appear before United
States Magistrate Judge VICTOR B. KENTON in the Central District
of California today.
Mr. GARCIA praised the efforts of the FBI, the DEA,
ICE, and the Hudson County, New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office in
conducting the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys JONATHAN B. NEW and
SHARON FRASE are in charge of the prosecution.
07-282 ###
