San Diego Man Gets 4 Years in Prison for Trafficking Bogus iPhones and iPads

The man and his brothers imported fake devices that had valid serial numbers, then directed others to exchange them for the real thing at Apple stores.

A pedestrian walks by an Apple Store in Berkeley, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A 34-year-old San Diego man was sentenced March 25 along with his brothers for organizing and leading an international trafficking scheme involving more than 10,000 counterfeit iPhones and iPads, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Zhiwei “Allen” Liao was sentenced to four years and three months in prison and was ordered to forfeit two residences, $120,370 and more than 200 Apple devices that were seized by authorities.