What Is "Smuggling"?

Here's a curious press release from a U.S. attorney's office:

More specifically, defendant Hung Lam pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic and smuggle children’s products, including toys, containing banned hazardous substances, such as lead and small parts, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2320. ...

According to the documents filed with the court and statements made during the plea hearing, from approximately April 2000 through May 2011, defendants Lam, LM, LIC, and LK conspired to sell and distribute in commerce children’s products imported from China in violation of the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. These products allegedly presented the risk of choking, aspiration, and ingestion, and some contained lead above the allowed statutory limits. The defendants imported these products by means of false statements on custom declaration forms. Yeung was charged with the misdemeanor count of importing goods without the required country of origin labeling.

Sometimes even a lawyer can't be sure what the facts behind the legalese are, but I think this man pleaded guilty to importing toys with small parts and filing faulty paperwork. And what are the odds that he took the initiative to say the toys didn't have small parts?

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