US: E-Commerce Company pleads guilty to antitrust charge

Gennex  pleaded guilty to conspiring to fix prices for customized promotional products sold online to customers in the United States. Gennex Media’s president, Akil Kurji, was also sentenced Thursday, June 27, for his role in the conspiracy.

According to the felony charges filed on November 1, 2018, and the plea agreement filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston, Gennex Media, its president, Akil Kurji, and their co-conspirators agreed to fix the prices of customized promotional products sold online from May 2014 until at least June 2016.  The customized promotional products subject to the conspiracy included wristbands, lanyards, temporary tattoos, and buttons. The defendants and their co-conspirators used social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications, such as Facebook, Skype, and Whatsapp, to reach and implement their illegal agreement.

“Today’s guilty plea and sentencings demonstrate the Division’s commitment to uncovering and prosecuting collusion that affects the online marketplace,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “We will continue to hold companies and their top executives accountable, seeking significant criminal fines and prison terms for those who violate the antitrust laws at the expense of everyday Americans.”