Man guilty of selling fake items on eBay

A former Oak Harbor man recently pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally importing more than $2 million in counterfeit exercise machines, blenders and other items, then selling them on eBay.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports that 28-year-old Bryan Polee has been importing the fraudulent merchandise from China, beginning in January of 2005. He sold the items online, operating under the name ZMP Enterprises. Polee previously lived in Oak Harbor, but now resides in Riverside, Calif.

The items Polee imported bore the trademark of reputable manufacturers. Court documents show that he imported and attempted to sell 3,177 “Bowflex” exercise units worth more than $1 million, 1,854 “Magic Bullet” blenders worth about $80,000, hundreds of exercise and financial advice DVDs, and more than 300 “North Face” recon backpacks, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In April 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment of counterfeit goods at the Port of Tacoma destined for ZMP Enterprises. The value of that merchandise, all of which was counterfeit, exceeded $760,000.

During the course of the investigation, more than nine containers of counterfeit items associated with Polee have been seized by the government. All of the items will be destroyed.

Polee forfeited a 2003 Cadillac CTS, a 2000 Jaguar S-Type and $30,000. He will be formally sentenced May 15 and could face decades in prison.

Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.

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