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Principals with Anyclo International Inc. admitted this week that the company evaded duties on clothing and apparel that it manufactured abroad and imported into the U.S. for nearly seven years, beginning in October 2012, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said.
The fraud involved preparing two invoices for the same shipments, the U.S. attorney said.
One invoice bore the true value of the merchandise, Sellinger said. That went to U.S. purchasers.
Another, presented to U.S. Customs officials, undervalued the goods, allowing Anyclo to “drastically underpay” taxes on them, he said.
Rather than risk a bad outcome at a trial, the company took a deal from the government. Company officials pleaded guilty on Monday, June 12, to evading Customs duties.
It also agreed to the $2.05 million civil penalty, plus interest, paid over 15 months, “to resolve its potential liability under the False Claims Act,” Sellinger said.
Finally, the company agreed to a $250,000 fine, he said.
Sellinger credited special agents with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and members of the Office of Trade, Regulatory Audit & Agency Advisory Services with the investigation leading the guilty plea, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of his Economic Crimes Unit, and the civil settlement obtained by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of Sellinger’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
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