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New Hampshire man pleads guilty to transporting stolen Apple products worth $2 million
Monday, June 26, 2023 2:55 pm

A Nashua, New Hampshire man has pleaded guilty to transporting stolen Apple products in federal court. Guangwei “William” Wu, 30, pleaded guilty to the interstate transportation of stolen property on June 1, 2023. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023.

Wu owned and operated a transshipping company in Manchester called Hai Xing Qiao. In the fall of 2022, a victim company purchased Apple products, including iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches, and MacBooks. They hired Hai Xing Qiao to forward the products to Hong Kong. However, another Hong Kong-based company, Yongfu Huo, paid Wu a bribe of over $700,000 to have the products shipped to them instead.

To cover up his tracks, Wu claimed that law enforcement had seized the Apple products. He sent the victim company a false document titled “Disclaimer of Ownership” purportedly issued by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Wu also forged the signature of a federal agent on the document.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. As part of the plea agreement, Wu is repaying $2 million in restitution to the victim.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

Key Takeaways

• A Nashua man pleaded guilty to transporting stolen Apple products in federal court.
• The man owned and operated a transshipping company that was supposed to forward the products to Hong Kong.
• However, he accepted a bribe to have the products shipped to another company in Hong Kong.
• To cover up his tracks, he sent the victim company a false document claiming that law enforcement had seized the products.
• He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023.

Sentence

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and restitution. As part of the plea agreement, Wu is repaying $2 million in restitution to the victim.

Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

MacDailyNews Take: Tsk, tsk.

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https://macdailynews.com/2023/06/26/new-hampshire-man-pleads-guilty-to-transporting-stolen-apple-products-worth-2-million/