Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Offenses

 

Antonio Carlos Shine, 38, of Dania, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and marijuana. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office continues to deliver successful prosecutions under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative, which aims to dismantle the drug trafficking organizations and networks that have flooded our streets with deadly drugs for far too long. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live in safe, drug-free communities, and that is precisely what we will achieve through aggressive prosecutions of drug traffickers like this defendant.”

Court documents reflect that in August 2024, law enforcement officers intercepted a package addressed to a Tallahassee residence. The package contained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery at the residence. The defendant took possession of the package and brought it into the residence. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence. The defendant did not answer the door, requiring officers to breach the door. Following the breach of the front door, Shine fled through the back door with the package of methamphetamine, where he was immediately taken into custody. Law enforcement searched the residence and located a digital scale, various narcotics paraphernalia, and 44 grams of marijuana packaged for sale. The defendant had previously been convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell/deliver and had served several terms in Florida state prison.

Shine faces a minimum mandatory sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment and up to a maximum of life imprisonment. The term of imprisonment will be followed by at least ten years of supervised release. Thus, if Shine were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.              

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer is prosecuting the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Senior Personnel At Telecommunications Company Charged With Multimillion Dollar Fraud Following Company Self-Report

Mohd Hafiz Lockman, Mohd Yuzaimi Yusof, and Khanh Thuong Nguyen Misappropriated Over $20 Million from Telekom Malaysia, Which Self-Reported the Scheme 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging MOHD HAFIZ LOCKMAN, MOHD YUZAIMI YUSOF, and KHANH THUONG NGUYEN, three former senior employees of Telekom Malaysia (USA) Inc., the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Berhad, with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged scheme by the defendants to divert more than $20 million of company funds through four interconnected frauds. The defendants used false statements, forged records, fictitious transactions, and corporate and individual impersonations to deceive counterparties, suppliers, auditors, and supervisors. LOCKMAN was arrested on April 20, 2026, at San Francisco International Airport, and NGUYEN and YUSOF surrendered to authorities on April 22 and 23, respectively. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho. 

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton also announced that the criminal conduct was reported by Telekom Malaysia Berhad to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in early April 2026, and the company has been cooperating with the Office’s ongoing investigation.         

“These fraud charges come within weeks of receiving a self-report from the company,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Mohd Hafiz Lockman, Mohd Yuzaimi Yusof, and Khanh Thuong Nguyen perpetrated a sprawling fraud to steal over $20 million. The defendants deceived counterparties, suppliers, auditors, and their own supervisors. As a result of the fact that the conduct was reported to this Office and quickly investigated, the defendants will now be held to account for fraudulently lining their own pockets.” 

“These three individuals are alleged to have conducted a deliberate and calculated embezzlement scheme, falsifying corporate records for their own financial benefit,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “These charges highlight the FBI’s commitment to aggressively investigating and identifying fraud schemes that exploit the corporate system.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and other public records of court proceedings:[1]

From July 2020 through February 2026, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN were senior managers at Telekom Malaysia (USA) Inc. (“the American Subsidiary”), which is wholly owned by Telekom Malaysia Berhad (the “Parent Company,” and, collectively with the American Subsidiary, “Telekom Malaysia”), a major telecommunications company in Malaysia. The American Subsidiary’s primary business is selling access to broadband infrastructure to technology companies in the United States. The Parent Company approved major contracts of the American Subsidiary, relying on management of the American Subsidiary for information about U.S. deals.

While employed at the American Subsidiary, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN pursued a multifaceted scheme to steal more than $20 million. First, they devised a scheme to sell Telekom Malaysia’s broadband capacity without the Parent Company’s authorization and to divert the proceeds of those sales to accounts under their control. For example, they requested Parent Company approval to sell eight terabytes of capacity to a multinational corporation headquartered in the United States (“U.S. Customer-1”) for roughly $54 million, but, in reality, $54 million was the price the American Subsidiary charged U.S. Customer-1 for six terabytes of capacity, not eight. After receiving the Parent Company’s approval, the defendants prepared two versions of the contract: one for U.S. Customer-1 that memorialized a sale of six terabytes, and another for the Parent Company that memorialized a sale of eight terabytes and that fraudulently bore signatures and initials of representatives of U.S. Customer-1, including one representative based in the United States. After misappropriating the excess two terabytes from the Parent Company, the defendants sold it for their own personal benefit to third parties, including a large U.S.-based internet services company and a subsidiary of a U.S.-based social media and technology company. To conceal those illicit sales from the Parent Company, and pocket the proceeds, the defendants executed the sales through a sham entity they incorporated with a name meant to look like the American Subsidiary’s name, and directed payments to bank accounts in the name of that entity, which they controlled.

Second, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN impersonated a supplier of goods for the American Subsidiary and captured payments the Parent Company intended for that supplier. In 2021, the American Subsidiary was to acquire a particular type of cable from the supplier and resell it to an affiliate of the Parent Company at a markup. Unbeknownst to the Parent Company, the defendants had caused the American Subsidiary to purchase the cable from the supplier for roughly $500,000. But the defendants falsely represented to the Parent Company that the American Subsidiary had paid roughly $2.9 million for the cable. The American Subsidiary sold the cable to the affiliate of the Parent Company for over $3 million, reflecting the markup, and the defendants then caused the American Subsidiary to transfer roughly $2.9 million—the amount that the American Subsidiary supposedly paid the supplier—to a bank account held by another sham entity with a name meant to look like the supplier’s, but secretly controlled by the defendants. To accomplish this fraud, the defendants falsified several documents purportedly signed by individuals who the defendants represented were employees of the sham entity with the name substantially similar to the supplier’s. In reality, those individuals were employees of the supplier, and the defendants had falsified their signatures.

Third, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN impersonated employees and interns of the American Subsidiary and captured salaries intended for those employees and interns. For example, the defendants caused the American Subsidiary’s records not to reflect the fact of a particular employee’s departure in 2020, and, from August 2020 through May 2025, the defendants caused the American Subsidiary to pay that employee’s monthly salary into a bank account that the defendants controlled. In 2025, the defendants finally recorded in the American Subsidiary’s records that employee’s departure, prompting Human Resources in Malaysia to request an exit interview with the employee. To sustain the fraud, the defendants recruited another individual to impersonate the employee during the exit interview. When Human Resources subsequently requested a video call, the defendants arranged for their imposter to disguise his appearance and bear the face of the departed employee through an artificial intelligence program.

Fourth, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN sought reimbursements for fabricated work expenses. For instance, in January 2026, the defendants collaborated to request reimbursement for expenses incurred for a work trip that employees of the American Subsidiary supposedly made to Las Vegas in December 2025. In fact, no such trip occurred. When the Parent Company requested pictures from the trip, the defendants hastily organized a trip to Las Vegas and photographed scenes with Christmas trees to make it appear as though photographs had been taken in December.

Telekom Malaysia initiated an internal investigation of the American Subsidiary and the defendants. Upon discovering the fraud, Telekom Malaysia self-reported the conduct to the United States Attorney’s Office and received a conditional declination of charges against the company based on the company’s commitment to full cooperation, restitution, remediation of harm caused by the misconduct, and its agreement to report criminal conduct for a three-year period.  Today’s action reflects the Office’s commitment to using self-reports as a means to quickly and effectively bring cases that hold individual executives accountable for their misconduct.

LOCKMAN, 48, of Dublin, California, YUSOF, 44, of Livermore, California, and NGUYEN, 48, of Manassas, Virginia, are charged with wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.

The maximum and minimum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. DiBattista and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild and Matthew Weinberg are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.      

ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Involved in Hit-and-Run That Injured a 4-Year-Old After Sanctuary California Politicians Released Him from Jail

 

Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians released this criminal illegal alien from jail back into our communities

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an illegal alien who had been released by sanctuary politicians in California despite causing a hit-and-run accident that injured a 4-year-old boy.

According to local reporting, Aman Kumar, an illegal alien from India, was behind the wheel of a car that struck a 4-year-old boy in Fresno, California on April 28, 2026. He was arrested by the Fresno Sheriff’s Department the next day and charged with a felony hit and run: death or injury. Sanctuary politicians RELEASED this criminal illegal from jail.

Aman Kumar 

On May 13, ICE law enforcement arrested Kumar outside the California Superior Court, County of Fresno.

The boy that Kumar struck was hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The latest reporting says he is expected to survive.

“This monster who almost killed a 4-year-old boy has been charged with a felony hit and run,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Sanctuary politicians in California released this criminal illegal alien from jail back onto the streets. Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien was arrested outside a criminal court. DHS is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians to stop putting American lives at risk by releasing criminals into our communities to commit more crimes and hurt more innocent people.”

Kumar illegally entered the United States in California in 2023 and was RELEASED by the Biden Administration.

In February, ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta calling on him to put the safety of Americans first and honor ICE arrest detainers of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal aliens in California’s custody.

California’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries, 184 robberies, 1,489 dangerous drugs offenses, 379 weapons offenses, and 234 sexual predatory offenses.

There are currently 33,179 aliens in the custody of a California jurisdiction with active detainers. The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.

Cocaine Delivery Service Dismantled in Luxury Apartment Building in the Bronx: Cocaine Distributed in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn

 

Thousands of Vials of Cocaine, Two Guns, and Over $200,000 Cash Seized

Four defendants were arrested following a long-term investigation into a drug delivery service that operated out of a luxury apartment building in the Bronx, and distributed cocaine in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine (over 22 pounds) carrying a street value of up to $250,000 were recovered during a series of court authorized searches of an apartment and three vehicles on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

Christopher Roberts, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Task Force Division Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced the arrests following arraignments in Manhattan Criminal Court late on Sunday and yesterday.

“Once again, we see the determination and lengths individuals will go to by using their luxury apartment building as the base of operations for their drug distribution network, sending delivery drivers across our city to distribute their poison,” said DEA New York Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts. “The seizure of thousands of vials of cocaine, all prepackaged and ready for distribution, along with the recovery of 2 firearms, highlights the danger these individuals posed to both their neighbors and the surrounding community. The DEA New York Task Force Division remains steadfast in our mission to target those flooding our streets with illicit drugs and the violence that so often accompanies them.”

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “This investigation successfully put the brakes on a drug delivery service that used a luxury apartment building in the Bronx as a drive-thru for cocaine pickups. The narcotics organization capitalized on the waterfront location with easy access to Manhattan and major highways. Citywide investigations of this kind underscore the importance of cooperation amongst law enforcement agencies to address widescale distribution of narcotics, especially by those with access to guns.”

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “I thank my city, state and federal partners for dismantling an organization of gun-toting couriers delivering cocaine in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, based in a Bronx luxury apartment where guns, bullets and $200,000 cash were found. It is so disheartening for this dangerous criminal activity to occur anywhere in our borough, including this area that has undergone development. We must be vigilant about stopping these traffickers wherever they pose a risk to our community.” 

“From their base in a residential building in the Bronx, these four defendants distributed copious amounts of drugs across New York City,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “But thanks to our joint investigation, we recovered over 10 kilograms of cocaine, multiple firearms, and more than $200,000 in cash. We will not allow illegal drug peddlers to poison our neighborhoods and threaten the safety of our communities. I commend our partners in the DEA New York Task Force Division, the Office of the Special Prosecutor for the City of New York, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for this thorough investigation, which has now taken down a dangerous drug ring.”

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “These individuals had zero regard for the dangers they posed to our community; selling deadly drugs and adding to the associated crimes that come with this illegal trade. Continuing multi-agency law enforcement efforts to rid New York of drug trafficking is imperative and not taken lightly. We are committed to working together with our partners to ensure that those who profit from the sale of dangerous, illegal drugs will be held fully accountable for their actions.”

The long-term investigation was conducted by the DEA New York Task Force Division (NYTFD), Group T-42, comprised of agents and investigators with DEA New York Division, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the New York State Police. Members of NYTDF Group T-42 conducted physical and electronic surveillance, and court authorized searches of three vehicles and an apartment located at 5 Lincoln Avenue, Apt. 1201. 

During the investigation, Ermes JIMENEZ, a resident of 5 Lincoln Avenue, Apt. 1201, allegedly provided large quantities of cocaine to drug delivery service drivers on a weekly basis. The large, 26-story building, known as the Lincoln at Bankside, is located on the Harlem River, next to Bruckner Boulevard and the Third Avenue Bridge to Manhattan. Agents and officers observed the cars pulling into the building’s semi-circular driveway. JIMENEZ allegedly carried weighted bags from his apartment to the vehicles. Agents and officers observed narcotics transactions allegedly conducted by the drug delivery service in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.

Early in the morning on Sunday, at approximately 12:15 a.m., members of NYTFD Group T-42 observed a 2021 black Mazda park in the vicinity of 5 Lincoln Avenue. JIMENEZ exited his residence and allegedly entered the front passenger seat of the Mazda. Agents and investigators arrested both JIMENEZ and the driver, defendant Eddy RUIZ-DE LA ROSA. Later that day, a court authorized search of the Mazda yielded approximately 800 grams of cocaine packaged inside vials and thousands of dollars in cash from a hidden trap compartment.

Soon after stopping the first car, agents and investigators observed defendant Jonathan RIVERA in front of 5 Lincoln Avenue in the driver’s seat of a 2024 black Toyota RAV4 at 12:42 a.m. A subsequent court authorized of the Toyota search yielded approximately 300 grams of cocaine packaged inside vials, a Glock handgun, and thousands of dollars cash from a trap compartment.

At approximately 6 a.m., agents and officers conducted a court authorized search of 5 Lincoln Avenue, Apt. 1201, and recovered more than 1,000 vials of cocaine similar to those found in the vehicles, as well as a loaded Sig Sauer firearm with an additional loaded magazine, a loaded magazine for a Glock firearm, boxes of ammunition, and a bullet proof vest. Approximately $200,000 cash was also seized, along with two money counting machines, one of which was switched on. 

A fourth arrest resulting from the investigation occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. in the vicinity of Fulton Street and Grant Street in Brooklyn. Investigators stopped defendant Jordan MACHUCA in a 2018 blue Honda Accord. The agents and officers conducted a court authorized search of the Honda and recovered approximately 800 grams of cocaine packaged inside vials and thousands of dollars in cash in a hidden compartment. 

All four defendants are charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees. JIMENEZ and RIVERA each face the additional charge of Criminal Possession of a Firearm. During the arraignments in Manhattan Criminal Court, bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond for RIVERA, $100,000 cash or $150,000 bond for RUIZ, and $25,000 cash or $75,000 bond for MACHUCA and JIMENEZ.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan thanked Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and commended SNP’s Trial Division, the DEA’s New York Task Force Division, the New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police for their work on the investigation.

Criminal Complaint	Charges
Ermes Jimenez  Bronx, NY  Age: 28	CPCS 1st – 1 ct  CPCS 3rd – 1 ct  Criminal Possession of a Firearm – 1 ct
Jonathan Rivera  Bronx, NY  Age: 43	CPCS 1st – 1 ct  CPCS 3rd – 1 ct  Criminal Possession of a Firearm – 1 ct
Jordan Machuca  Manhattan, NY  Age: 28	CPCS 1st – 1 ct  CPCS 3rd – 1 ct
Eddy Ruiz-De La Rosa  Bronx, NY  Age: 37	CPCS 1st – 1 ct  CPCS 3rd – 1 ct

The charges and allegations are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Four of the World’s Largest Container Manufacturing Companies and Seven of Their Executives Indicted for a Global Conspiracy Affecting Billions of Dollars of Commerce

 

Seven Chinese executives and four of the world’s largest shipping container manufacturing companies were indicted for conspiring to restrict the output of — and fix the prices of — nearly all of the world’s standard unrefrigerated shipping containers for over four years, spanning as early as November 2019 to at least January 2024, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The multi-year conspiracy roughly doubled the prices of standard shipping containers between 2019 and 2021, increasing the container manufacturers’ profits approximately one hundredfold during the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain crisis. One executive, Vick Nam Hing Ma, was arrested and his extradition to the United States is pending. Six executive co-defendants remain at large.

Defendant Vick Nam Hing Ma, also known as “Vick Ma”, “馬南慶” and “马南庆” in Chinese, 54, of the People’s Republic of China, was employed by Singamas Container Holdings Ltd. as Marketing Director. He was arrested on April 14, 2026, in France and his extradition to the United States is pending. Following Ma’s arrest, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California unsealed today a superseding indictment charging Ma and 10 of his co-conspirators for conspiring to restrict the output of—and fix the price of — nearly all the world’s standard unrefrigerated shipping containers (also known as standard dry containers), the intermodal containers which carry billions of dollars of goods across the oceans to American households each year. In total, the superseding indictment charges 11 defendants, including 10 of Ma’s co-conspirators:

• Singamas Container Holdings Ltd. (Singamas) also known as “胜狮货柜企业有限公司” in Chinese, was a publicly traded company, organized and existing under the laws of Hong Kong in the People’s Republic of China. Singamas was engaged in the business of manufacturing dry shipping containers and selling them to customers in the United States and elsewhere.
• China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Ltd. (CIMC), also known as “中国国际海运集装箱（集团）股份有限公司” in Chinese, was a publicly traded company, organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. CIMC was engaged in the business of manufacturing dry shipping containers and selling them to customers in the United States and elsewhere.
• Shanghai Universal Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd., also known as “上海寰宇物流装备有限公司” in Chinese, was a company organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Shanghai Universal Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Dong Fang”) owned, managed, and did business as a brand of shipping containers called Dong Fang International Containers, also known as “DF”, “DFIC”, or Dong Fang. Dong Fang was engaged in the business of manufacturing dry shipping containers and selling them to customers in the United States and elsewhere.
• CXIC Group Containers Co. Ltd. (CXIC) also known as “新华昌集团有限公司” in Chinese, was a company organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. CXIC was engaged in the business of manufacturing dry shipping containers and selling them to customers in the United States and elsewhere.
• Siong Seng Teo, 71, also known as “張松聲” and “张松声” in Chinese, and “S. Teo,” was employed by Singamas as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Teo is believed to be a resident of the Republic of Singapore.
• Boliang Mai, 67, also known as “麦伯良” in Chinese, was employed by CIMC in various senior roles. From August 2015 through July 2020, Mai served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CIMC. From August 2020 through the rest of the period covered by the Superseding Indictment, he served as Chairman and CEO of CIMC. Mai is believed to be a resident of the People’s Republic of China.
• Tianhua Huang, 62, also known as “黄田化” in Chinese and “T.H. Huang,” was employed by CIMC as Vice President. Huang is believed to be a resident of the People’s Republic of China.
• Yongbo Wan, 47, also known as “万永波” in Chinese, was employed by CIMC as General Manager of CIMC’s Operation Management Center. Wan is believed to be a resident of the People’s Republic of China.
• Qianmin Li, 62, also known as “李前敏” in Chinese, was employed by Dong Fang as General Manager. Li is believed to be a resident of the People’s Republic of China.
• Yuqiang Zhang, 49, also known as “张钰强” in Chinese and “James Zhang,” was employed by CXIC as CEO. Zhang is believed to be a resident of the People’s Republic of China.

“Cheaters never prosper,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “This Department of Justice is ensuring that when American pocketbooks are pilfered, accountability will follow. And yet the last administration saw fit to prioritize the weaponization of the Department through novel criminal prosecution theories rather than focus on criminal actors most responsible for manipulating markets to profit from a global pandemic. Thankfully, this Department has righted that wrong, eliminating the weaponization of Government and prioritizing ensuring affordability for all Americans.”

“Global price-fixing cartels strike at the heart of our economic liberty. The defendants held hostage the world’s supply of ocean shipping containers during the Covid pandemic when our supply chains needed it the most. They stole from everyday Americans who paid more and waited longer for vital goods as a result,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division is committed to protecting consumers and holding accountable anyone — anywhere in the world — who exploits Americans for ill-gotten gains.”

“The charges we announced today are possible only because of the dedicated men and women of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and our partners in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad for Criminal Enforcement of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Working together, these law enforcement professionals conducted a thorough, speedy investigation and stand ready to prove the allegations in the indictment.”

“These defendants, as alleged, sought to exploit a global pandemic to increase their own profits. Their illegal agreement to fix prices and limit supply of these shipping containers resulted in the American consumer paying more and waiting longer for critical goods,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “We will not tolerate any attempt to manipulate the free markets and will continue to work with our partners at the Antitrust Division to protect the public from these defendants and others like them.”

“The FBI remains committed to protecting the American people from global entities illegally conspiring to engage in price fixing,” said Operations Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal and Cyber Branch. “We are proud to work with our partners to ensure that criminals seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers are brought to justice.”

“These charges represent the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals and companies who restrict trade for personal benefit,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kevin Cloninger of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those that conspire to engage in anticompetitive practices and harm U.S. citizens.”

“We will continue working with law enforcement partners to protect our supply chain and aggressively investigate all allegations of price fixing,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General.

As alleged in the superseding indictment, as early as March 2019, several of the conspirators began discussing a scheme to restrict the output and fix the prices of standard dry shipping containers. On or about Nov. 14, 2019, Yongbo Wan and Tianhua Huang of CIMC, Qianmin Li of Dong Fang, Yuqiang Zhang of CXIC, and a co-conspiring executive of Co-Conspirator Company A met at CIMC’s headquarters in the city of Shenzhen. The goal of the agreement was to raise the price of standard dry shipping containers. To do so, they agreed to restrict CIMC’s, Dong Fang’s, CXIC’s, and Co-Conspirator Company A’s output of standard dry shipping containers by various means, including:

• Limiting the number of shifts and hours that each production line for standard dry containers could run per day;
• Installing 87 video surveillance cameras on all 49 dry container production lines to ensure that the companies did not exceed the agreed-upon limitations;
• Not building any new container manufacturing factories; and
• Establishing a fund that included a mechanism to penalize financially any cheating on the output-restriction agreement.

The participants contemplated that Singamas and Co-Conspirator Company B would join the output-restriction agreement later. Those companies did so by at least as early as March 2020.

Throughout their conspiracy, the conspirators refined the operation of the output-restriction agreement. By September 2020, the conspirators agreed to restrict how many standard dry shipping containers the company conspirators would manufacture for particular customers. These customers included major U.S.-based container lessors, shipping lines, and logistics companies, in addition to container lessors, shipping lines, and logistics companies based in Europe, the People’s Republic of China, and elsewhere. And from at least as early as September 2022 until at least as late as November 2023, the conspirators agreed to cap the total cargo volume of containers that the company conspirators produced. On or about November 20, 2023, for example, Vick Ma of Singamas co-presented to his CEO, co-defendant Siong Seng Teo, the conspiracy’s “Total Allowable capacity” and “allowable quota” for production — organized by each company conspirator and its factory lines.

As further alleged in the indictment, the profits of CIMC’s container manufacturing business segment increased nearly one hundredfold from about $19.8 million USD in 2019, to about $288 million USD in 2020, to about $1.75 billion USD in 2021. Singamas’s net income increased from a loss of about $110 million USD in 2019, to profits of about $4.6 million in 2020 and about $186.8 million in 2021.

The superseding indictment charges the defendants with a conspiracy in restraint of trade in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. § 1). A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals, and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Matthew Chou, Daniel Twomey, Albert Sambat, and Christopher J. Carlberg of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Antitrust Division’s International Section. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and French authorities provided significant assistance in securing the arrest of Vick Ma.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation, or other antitrust and competition crimes, should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center by visiting www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.