Man faces trademark-counterfeiting charge

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — A Trumbull County grand jury has indicted a Howland man on felony charges of trademark counterfeiting and possessing criminal tools after police found purses and other allegedly counterfeit goods in his home.

Kong H. Ni, 29, of 543 Laurelwood Drive S.E., showed up at his home while Howland police were there in September questioning his wife, after they received a tip about the merchandise.

Ni told police he was selling the items, mostly purses, wallets and sunglasses marked with the trademarks of Coach, Gucci and Chanel, at flea markets.

Howland police arrested his wife, Qiao L. Liu, at time of the investigation, and she was later taken from the Trumbull County jail by the U.S. Marshals Service after the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs issued a warrant for her arrest.

Immigration and Customs officials would not say where Liu was taken.

Ni will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday by Judge Peter Kontos in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.