Missouri Woman Sentenced to 2 Years for Selling Imported Counterfeit Cellphone Components

A Missouri woman was sentenced to two years in prison by a U.S. district judge for selling more than $90 million worth of counterfeit cellphone components imported from China, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sherrie Householder, 59, pleaded guilty May 26 to mail fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, it said. From 2012 through 2016, Householder managed U.S. operations of Flash Technology, selling counterfeit cellphone replacement screens, batteries, cases and internal circuitry but representing they were made by Apple, LG, Microsoft, Samsung and other manufacturers. Wang Luo, a Chinese citizen, apparently shipped the counterfeit components to Householder from China. After numerous seizures of shipments by Customs and Border Protection, Householder continued selling the cellphone components despite knowing they were counterfeit. The court also ordered Householder to forfeit $556,938 seized from her accounts and pay a money judgment of nearly $9 million, ICE said.