A Chelsea man was sentenced last month in federal court in Boston for trafficking counterfeit merchandise at three retail locations in the Boston area.
Arif Ali Shah, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $145,531. In May 2017, Shah pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods.
From approximately 2005 to February 2015, Shah knowingly sold counterfeit merchandise at three retail stores he owns: Nadia’s in Dorchester; East Boston Wireless in East Boston; and Todo Wireless in Chelsea. Shah sold counterfeit Apple, Samsung, and Speck components at all three retail locations. He also sold a variety of counterfeit apparel and accessories, including Chanel, Michael Kors, Nike, Prada, Timberland, and Uggs. Shah purchased the counterfeit merchandise from foreign and domestic sources and purchased a number of the counterfeit cell phone components from a domestic supplier, Flexqueen, the owner of which was prosecuted in California.
Acting United States Attorney William Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart of Weinreb’s Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.