Missouri company pleads guilty to importing $1.8 million in products with counterfeit safety labels

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Missouri company pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to importing thousands of lamps from China bearing counterfeit safety certification labels. This guilty plea is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) GuildMaster, Inc., of Springfield, Mo., represented in court by company president Stephen Crowder, pleaded guilty to the felony offense of trafficking in goods with counterfeit marks. The company manufactures and imports furniture, lighting, accessories and wall art. “Electrical appliances that are untested and unregulated or misrepresent their safety certification can present a safety risk to consumers,” said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of HSI Chicago, which oversees Missouri. “While law enforcement is working to exclude from the U.S.-based marketplace products that misrepresent their safety endorsements, it is imperative that consumers be aware of the potential danger counterfeit items can pose.” “This prosecution sends the important message that companies importing goods from overseas may not gain a competitive advantage over those that play by the rules, by cutting corners when it comes to safety or intellectual property rights,” said Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1307/130715springfield.htm