ALBUQUERQUE – Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney and Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Texas, announced federal charges against two Mexican nationals for allegedly operating a counterfeit airbag business out of their residence in Albuquerque, N.M. Dina Gonzalez-Marquez, 23, and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez, 21, both of whom are illegally present in the United States, were arrested yesterday and made their initial appearances today in federal court on a three-count indictment charging them with trafficking in counterfeit goods.
The indictment charges the siblings with conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods and two counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods. According to the indictment, Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez conspired to traffic in counterfeit goods from Jan. 2015 to March 2017, by operating a business that sold counterfeit airbag modules and airbag covers out of their Albuquerque residence. They allegedly facilitated the conspiracy by listing and selling counterfeit airbag modules and airbag covers online, shipping the counterfeit goods to purchasers, and conducting in person sales of the counterfeit goods. The indictment alleges that undercover HSI Special Agents purchased counterfeit goods from the defendants on two occasions. Specifically it alleges that one Special Agent purchased a counterfeit airbag from the defendants in Aug. 2016, and another Special Agent purchased a counterfeit airbag cover from them in March 1, 2017.
Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez remain in federal custody pending arraignment and detention hearings, which are scheduled for May 5, 2017.
If convicted on the charges in the indictment, Dina Gonzalez-Marquez and Emilio Gonzalez-Marquez each face a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $2 million. Charges in indictments are merely accusations, and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of HSI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon L. Fyffe and Nicholas Jon Ganjei.