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Liang Lin, 34, is facing some very real and serious punishments for selling designer knock-offs out of his two boardwalk stores in Ocean City, Md. He faces more than 10 years in prison and up to $2 million in fines.
Prosecutors say Lin trafficked counterfeit goods including shoes, handbags, clothing, perfume, and hats, posing his fake merchandise as designer brands like Coach, Vera Wang, Gucci, Nike, and Louis Vuitton.
Officials say Lin's case is the first of what could be many more, resulting from a huge undercover counterfeit sting operation in August 2011 when federal, state, and local authorities seized fake merchandise from 24 boardwalk stores.
One local merchant says counterfeiting has been a big problem for as long as he's been in business in Ocean City, and that stretches back three decades. But he thinks that maybe this time, merchants will be thinking twice before putting something fake on their shelves.
Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process
After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.Could African Crops Be Improved With Private Biotech Data?
A plant scientist at Mars Inc., has appealed to the world's biggest life sciences companies to help him — by sharing what they already know about 100 crops that could provide better nutrition in Africa. But can the kings of agricultural intellectual property get on board with open source agricultural information for Africa?IRS Witness Turns Down Questions At Congressional Hearing
Lois Lerner was the first IRS official to explain how conservative groups' applications for tax-exempt status were flagged for extra scrutiny. On Wednesday, she cited her constitutional right not to incriminate herself and declined to answer questions from a House committee.How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started
You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.Leave a Comment
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