LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Pomona food wholesaler was sentenced Monday to 15 months in federal prison for smuggling Chinese frozen roasted eel for human consumption that had been previously refused entry into the United States.
Kevin Sheng Hsiang Fang, 41, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to federal counts of smuggling and introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Fang was a high-volume importer of Chinese frozen roasted eel, commonly known as unagi, through his now-defunct company. The criminal case stems from a shipment of Fang's imported eel that was sample tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and found to be unsafe for human consumption, which prompted the FDA to refuse its entry into the United States.
Fang admitted he knowingly re-imported the eel, using new entry information, and commingled with other eel to evade detection, according to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court.
When he pleaded guilty, Fang admitted the eel he tried to import and distribute was adulterated with Gentian Violet, Leucogentian Violet and Malachite Green, unsafe new animal drugs. Use of these antibiotics or chemicals during various stages of aqua-cultured food can result in the presence of residues of the parent compound or its metabolites in the edible portion of the aqua-cultured seafood, federal prosecutors said.
The presence of antibiotic residues may contribute to an increase of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens, according to an FDA alert. Moreover, prolonged exposure to Malachite Green and Gentian Violet has been shown to have a carcinogenic effect.
"Federal laws that prohibits the smuggling of certain food products are intended to protect consumers from hazards to their health," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. "We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the American people from such public health dangers and to ensure the safety of our food supply."