4 men convicted in $573,000 counterfeit electronics scheme

Four men accused of operating a $573,000 counterfeit electronics ring in DuPage County have pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Simone Signorelli, 24; Luca DeMartino, 26; Vincenzo DeMartino, 49; and Salvatore DeRosa, 50, all pleaded guilty this month to selling/using counterfeit goods under $10,000, according to court records.

When arrested in May, the defendants were charged with the more serious offense of possession of counterfeit items with intent to sell, over $500,000.

The group was charged following an Elmhurst police investigation into reports of men approaching people offering to sell electronic items.

The investigation led them to a Glen Ellyn house the men had rented, authorities said.

When police searched the house and a vehicle driven by one of the men, they found more than 800 counterfeit items, including fake iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPod Pros, Apple battery packs, iPads and Samsung Galaxy cellphones, authorities alleged.

Police also seized more than $135,000 in cash, officials said.

All four men are residents of Naples, Italy. According to court documents, one of the men told police the money was going to be used to open a restaurant in Italy.

As part of their plea deals, each defendant was sentenced to two years in prison. They will have to serve at least half that time before being eligible for parole.

They were given credit for the seven months they have spent in the DuPage County jail awaiting trial, plus extra days for working as trustees at the jail.