HOUSTON — The federal judge overseeing a fraud trial against the former president of tire importer and distributor Winland International Inc. and seven co-defendants has delayed their trial for a fourth time, now scheduled for Aug. 11, 2025.
The case, which dates from December 2020, was scheduled to go to trial initially on Sept. 19, 2022, but was postponed then until Feb. 13, 2023, then again in March 2023 until Sept. 11, and then again at that time until February 2024.
The case involves Winland International (d.b.a. Super Tire) and seven individuals, who are accused of being involved in an importing scheme designed to dodge millions of dollars in anti-dumping duties.
Attorneys for the defendants petitioned the court for a delay due to case's complexity — involving eight defendants (six of whom are fugitives), extensive discovery, and a 15-page indictment alleging a complex conspiracy to evade customs duties.
Alfred Bennet, U.S. district judge in the Federal Court, Southern District of Texas, granted the delay because failure to do so "would result in the miscarriage of justice, and that a continuance is necessary to allow reasonable time for trial preparations."
Pretrial motions are due July 7, 2025.
Authorities allege in the government's case that the defendants avoided paying anti-dumping duties for approximately 10 years, from 2008 to 2018, on off-the-road, light vehicle and truck tires imported from China by falsifying invoices and records of tires they imported with the identities of Chinese tire companies that were subject to lower duties than the actual manufacturers.
Records also allegedly were falsified to understate the value of the tires, a move that also lowered the duties owed.
The U.S. attorney said at least $20.9 million worth of tires were involved and the U.S. missed out on more than $6.5 million in duties.
