An East Los Angeles man who pleaded guilty last year in a multimillion-dollar counterfeit iPhone and iPad operation that hit Apple stores across Southern California, including the Apple Store in Old Pasadena, is set to learn his fate in federal court today. Junwei Jiang, 39, admitted to taking part in what prosecutors describe as a high-volume swap scheme that traded bogus devices for genuine Apple replacements, which were then shipped overseas and resold.
Jiang is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 7B of the U.S. Courthouse at 350 W. First Street in downtown Los Angeles, according to Pasadena Now. Courtroom 7B is listed as Judge André Birotte Jr.'s courtroom on the Central District of California's judges' procedures page, per the court's website (U.S. District Court, Central District of California).
How Prosecutors Say The Apple Swap Worked
Federal prosecutors say the crew imported counterfeit iPhones, iPads and other Apple products from China, then altered them to carry real serial and IMEI numbers so the fake hardware would look legitimate to Apple store staff. Once they secured genuine replacement devices through Apple's warranty or repair programs, the real products were allegedly routed to co-conspirators in the United States and overseas to be sold on the secondary market, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
What Has Happened In Court So Far
Several defendants have already pleaded guilty in the wide-ranging case, and two Riverside County residents, Yushan Lin and Shuyi Xing, admitted their roles in September 2025 and were among the last to reach plea deals, according to court records and local reporting. Another defendant, Zhengxuan Hu of Alhambra, was sentenced in March to two years in federal prison after entering a guilty plea, KESQ reported.
Charges, Losses And Who Helped Crack The Case
Prosecutors estimate the broader conspiracy tried to return or successfully returned more than 27,600 counterfeit devices, sticking Apple with at least $16.2 million in losses. The investigation drew on work from Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Police Department. The defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, with punishment, fines and restitution to be set at sentencing hearings, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
Jiang's appearance today is expected to shed light on how much restitution prosecutors will seek and what sentence they will formally recommend. Once the judge rules, details of the outcome will be posted to the public docket and reflected in follow-up media coverage. This story will be updated after the court announces Jiang's sentence or files any significant new documents.
