Boise Man Admits to Multi-million Dollar Cellphone Counterfeit Scheme
A Boise man could be facing a decade in prison and millions of dollars in fines for trafficking in counterfeit goods in a multi-million dollar counterfeit cellphone scheme.
According to U.S. Attorney Bart Davis, Artur Pupko, 28, pleaded guilty in U.S. district court to trafficking in counterfeit goods for selling goods he misrepresented as authentic Apple and Samsung products. Pupko worked with others to sell counterfeit phones and accessories online that were misrepresented as new and genuine.
Pupko had actually traveled to Hong Kong and China to buy the knockoff phones and accessories and brought them back to the Treasure Valley to repackage them and sell them. The defendant also admitted in his plea deal to selling counterfeit items to law enforcement.
Pupko is facing up to ten years in prison and a $5 million fine, along with three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for December in Boise federal court.