May 15, 2008
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the settlement of a customs fraud case for $2.8 million.
The suit, which originated as a whistleblower complaint, involved three importers, Intertex International Inc., J.J. Basics, Inc. and the Red Zone, Inc., that imported goods for U.S. companies, including Wal-Mart Stores, J.C. Penney, Kohls and Marshalls.
The whistleblower alleged that the companies misstated the country of origin of imported goods in order to evade quota restrictions and sometimes understated the value of the imported goods.