ALBANY, N.Y. — Participants in an illegal scheme of importing and selling counterfeit LiveStrong wristbands in New York City have pleaded guilty and turned over $111,830 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
LiveStrong bracelets sell for $1, with proceeds funding the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a non-profit organization providing services and research for cancer patients that was founded by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.
The illegal scheme was shut down by Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s office and the state police in April after raids recovered 80,000 counterfeit bracelets and more than $100,000 in cash from two distribution facilities in Queens and Manhattan. Li Ping Liang Chen, who headed Eastlink International Inc., arranged to have the wristbands produced in China and imported into the U.S. through Kennedy International Airport.
Chen pleaded guilty to trademark counterfeiting in the second degree and was sentenced to pay $101,830 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Su Qin Weng and Ding Chai Ye both pleaded guilty to trademark counterfeiting in the third degree and were sentenced to pay $5,000 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Wei Hua Chen, husband of Li Ping Liang, and Su Ping Qu, husband of Su Qin Weng, both pleaded guilty to a violation and were sentenced to seven days of community service. Xi Chen pleaded guilty to a violation and was sentenced to four days of community service.