A Florida couple has been slapped with nearly five years behind bars each for their roles in a elaborate duty evasion scheme that cost the US a staggering $42 million in lost tariffs. Noel and Kelsy Hernandez Quintana were sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to violating the Lacey Act and customs laws, by falsely declaring the species and origin of plywood products manufactured in China.
The Quintanas' conspiracy involved the use of shell companies and misdeclaration of goods to skirt antidumping and countervailing duties, according to a statement provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The couple also faced a hefty $42,417,318.50 in forfeitures and over $1.6 million in storage costs racked up by the government after they refused to abandon the seized illegal wood.
Moreover, Marla Angelbello, an employee of an the Quintanas, received a sentence to three years of probation with 90 days of home detention, as well as a fine of $3,000. Post their release, the Quintanas are banned from engaging in any business activities related to importing or exporting products governed by the Lacey Act for a supervised period of three years.
"The enforcement of customs laws serves an integral part of U.S. foreign policy and trade policy," U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe stated. The pair's illegal activities were also said to undermine federal environmental laws and U.S. trade policy, according to details released by the Department of Justice.
For the cover-up, the Quintanas shipped Chinese plywood to Malaysia and Sri Lanka, switching containers to conceal Chinese origin, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Their fraudulent activities were brought to light following a detailed investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations with support from Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Investigation Service.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim from the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division highlighted the serious environmental effects of illegal timber trafficking and the importance of accurate plant import declarations in protecting U.S. businesses and the environment. According to the DOJ, the Quintanas fled the United States, initially to Panama and then to Montenegro, where they were eventually extradited.
