WASHINGTON – A California aftermarket auto lights distributor has agreed to plead guilty today for its participation in a global conspiracy to fix the prices of aftermarket auto lights, the Department of Justice announced. Aftermarket auto lights are incorporated into an automobile after its original sale, often as repairs following a collision or as accessories and upgrades.
According to a one-count felony charge filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Sabry Lee (U.S.A.) Inc. conspired with others to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing the prices of aftermarket auto lights. The department said that Sabry Lee, a U.S. distributor for a Taiwan producer of aftermarket auto lights, participated in the conspiracy from about September 2003 until about September 2005. Under Sabry Lee’s plea agreement, which is subject to court approval, the company has agreed to pay a $200,000 criminal fine and to assist the department in its ongoing investigation into the aftermarket auto lights industry.
According to the charge, Sabry Lee and co-conspirators participated in a conspiracy in which the participants met and agreed to charge prices of aftermarket auto lights at certain predetermined levels. According to the court documents, the participants in the conspiracy issued price announcements and price lists in accordance with the agreements reached, and collected and exchanged information on prices and sales of aftermarket auto lights for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing adherence to the agreed-upon prices. The department said that the conspirators met in Taiwan, the United States and elsewhere for their discussions.
Sabry Lee is the first corporation to be charged in connection with the department’s ongoing investigation into the aftermarket auto lights industry. Three individuals have also been charged. Polo Shu-Sheng Hsu, the former president and chief executive officer of a U.S. distributor of aftermarket auto lights, entered his guilty plea on March 29, 2011, and was sentenced to serve 180 days in prison and to pay a $25,000 criminal fine. Chien Chung Chen, aka Andrew Chen, the former executive vice president of Sabry Lee, pleaded guilty to his participation in the conspiracy on June 7, 2011. He is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13, 2011. Homy Hong-Ming Hsu was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on July 12, 2011, and indicted on July 19, 2011. Homy Hong-Ming Hsu is the vice chairman and second highest-ranking officer of a Taiwan manufacturer of aftermarket auto lights.
Sabry Lee is charged with violating the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum penalty of a $100 million criminal fine. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
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