Pasadena Apple Store Among Targets in Counterfeit Device Scheme

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A Chinese national living in the San Gabriel Valley pleaded guilty to his role in a counterfeit iPhone and iPad exchange scheme that targeted multiple Apple stores across Southern California, including the Pasadena location. Zhengxuan Hu, 28, of Alhambra, is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday for his part in the $16.2 million fraud.

Why it matters

This case highlights the growing problem of counterfeit electronics and the lengths criminals will go to defraud major tech companies like Apple. It also raises concerns about the vulnerability of retail stores to such sophisticated schemes and the need for stronger security measures to protect against these types of fraud.

The details

Hu and five other defendants participated in a scheme where they imported counterfeit iPhones and iPads from China, then exchanged them at Apple stores across Southern California for genuine replacement devices under the company's warranty program. The counterfeit devices carried real identification numbers and serial numbers belonging to legitimate Apple customers throughout the U.S. After obtaining the genuine replacement devices, the defendants shipped them to co-conspirators in the U.S. and abroad, where they were resold at a substantial profit.

• Hu pleaded guilty in August 2025.
• Hu's sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27, 2026.

What’s next

U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a March 27 sentencing hearing for Wenhui Huang, the group's ringleader.