Becerra Law, P.A.’s Client Sentenced to House Arrest After Conviction for Evading Over $1.9 Million in Customs Duties on Imported Tires

Becerra Law, P.A., through its principal Robert J. Becerra, B.C.S. represented a tire importer who evaded anti-dumping and countervailing duties over a period of years by falsely declaring that its tires originated from Malaysia and Canada instead of China. The importer also undervalued many of the tires upon entry. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 545, Becerra was able to convince the federal court, through the filing of memoranda and advocacy at the sentencing hearing, to sentence Becerra Law’s client to house arrest and restitution despite the duty evasion being in excess of $ 1.9 million and the Government advocating for a federal prison sentence of 16 months. Though every case is different, zealous and vigorous sentencing advocacy can result in non-prison sentences below that being advocated by the prosecution despite high dollar duty evasion amounts.