LOS ANGELES, CA — An El Monte man was sentenced Monday to one year, three months behind bars for his role in a scheme to smuggle as much as $200 million worth of counterfeit products into the United States through the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex.
Hexi Wang, 33, was also ordered to pay $414,338 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Wang pleaded guilty in April 2025 to six counts, including conspiracy to break customs seals and smuggle, breaking customs seals, and smuggling.
One of nine people indicted in Los Angeles federal court in December 2024, Wang was charged with working in the supply chain for a group that coordinated the shipping and transportation of counterfeit shoes, perfume, luxury handbags and watches into the U.S. from China.
The indictment states that containers slated for secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection were transported to warehouses or other locations controlled by the defendants. Co-conspirators broke the security seals on the containers and removed the contraband, then placed counterfeit seals on the containers, which were then returned for inspection.
Along with Wang, six of the defendants — Dong Lin, Jin Liu, Jesse Rosales, Galvin Liufu, Marck Gomez and Andy Perez — pleaded guilty to federal charges. Gomez was sentenced in September 2025 to two years in prison and ordered to pay $4.1 million in restitution.
In March, Daniel Hoffman, 43, of Hacienda Heights, was sentenced to over five years behind bars for his role in the scheme, following his conviction at trial in downtown Los Angeles. Evidence showed Hoffman was involved in transporting shipping containers with counterfeit goods from the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex to warehouses controlled by the ring's members.
The group's alleged leader, Weijun Zheng, 57, of Diamond Bar, remains a fugitive, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The defendants worked as logistics executives, warehouse owners and truck drivers.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, more than $130 million in goods — including $20 million worth of counterfeit shoes and other clothing, luxury handbags, watches, and perfume from a single warehouse — were seized.
The 15-count indictment said the smuggling took place from August 2023 through June 2024. Charges include conspiracy, smuggling and breaking customs seals.
According to his plea agreement, Wang maintained a warehouse in the City of Industry in which cargo containers from the port were diverted before they could be inspected by customs officials. Once at the location, the illegal cargo was unloaded and replaced with "filler." The ring's members then affixed counterfeit seals and sent the containers back to CBP for inspection.
Cheryl Davies, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles, said a team of CBP agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport made the initial discovery of wrongdoing in 2023 during a routine container inspection.
"This case attests to their unwavering vigilance, utmost professionalism and keen focus in protecting the integrity of lawful trade, a key component of our critical national security mission," Davies said in a statement.
City News Service
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