Counterfeit iPhone Investigation Yields 3 Arrests & Recovery of $250K in Parts

If you asked Siri, "Find me $250,000 worth of counterfeit iPhone parts," last Thursday, she should have directed you to the nearby cities of Walnut, Rowland Heights and Covina. A three month investigation conducted by detectives from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, Commercial Crimes Bureau ended in three arrests and the seizure of approximately $250k worth of counterfeit iPhone parts on Thursday, October 20.

Detectives from the Commercial Crimes Bureau and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Bureau, after investigating alleged counterfeit iPhone parts being sold on the Internet via various auction sites, served search warrants at five separate locations. They discovered and recovered counterfeit iPhone rear panels, phone covers and chargers. The parts are believed to have been imported from China.

Two Chinese men and one woman were arrested on Thursday for possession of known counterfeit iPhone parts with the intent to sell those parts to the public. All three suspects are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. The names of the suspects have not been released.