El Monte Toy Importer Sentenced For Having Over $1.4M In Fake Pokemon, Hello Kitty And Other Merchandise
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- An El Monte man who operates a toy import business was sentenced on Friday to three years of probation and 90 days community service for possessing more than $1.4 million worth of counterfeit goods.
Officials said Wan Piao -- also known as Edison Piao or Edisson Park -- had counterfeit plush toys, backpacks and playing cards in his possession.
Counterfeits and machines were seized in an investigation into Piao.
He was also ordered by the court to destroy all remaining items in connection to the felony charges, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Some of the fake items he had in his possession, according to officials, included counterfeit Pokemon, Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, Lego Ninjago, JanSport, Shopkkins and Super Mario merchandise.
Law enforcement officials discovered the items in Piao's two El Monte warehouses in March 2017.
The criminal case was filed against him in October 2019, and he pleaded no contest to two counts of counterfeit of registered marks before the sentence was handed down on Friday.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)