5 arrested on toy-hazard indictments

Five people and five closely held companies were charged Wednesday with importing hazardous and counterfeit toys into the U.S. from China.

Chenglan Hu, 51, Hua Fei Zhang, 52, Xiu Lan Zhang, 60, Guan Jun Zhang, 29, and Jun Wu Zhang, 28, were charged in a 24-count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn, N.Y., federal court.

The defendants used several companies including Family Product USA Inc., H.M. Import USA Corp. and ZCY Trading Corp. in a scheme to import toys that violate U.S. consumer-safety laws and knockoff toys featuring Dora the Explorer, Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants and other popular characters, according to the filing.

“For years, the defendants sought to enrich themselves by importing and selling dangerous and counterfeit children’s toys without regard for the law or the health of our children,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

The individuals, residents of Queens, N.Y., face charges of conspiracy, smuggling, illegal importation and distribution of goods, trafficking in counterfeit goods and criminal copyright infringement. They were arrested Wednesday, according to Lynch’s office.

The scheme occurred from about July 2005 to January, according to the indictment. During that time, U.S. customs officials seized toys prohibited under Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations because of lead content, excessive phthalate levels, small parts that present choking hazards or other issues, according to the government.