The United States government has initiated legal action against Global Office Furniture, LLC (GOF) and its owner, Malcom E. Smith. The complaint accuses them of violating the False Claims Act by underpaying customs duties on imported office chairs. GOF, based in Myrtle Beach, imports and sells furniture made in China.
The complaint suggests that the defendants collaborated with a Chinese manufacturer to avoid or reduce customs duties for merchandise imported between 2019 and 2023. It is alleged that they used a double-invoicing scheme by submitting false entry summaries and invoices to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which undervalued the imported office chairs, thus lowering the duties paid. Additionally, it is claimed that efforts were made to destroy evidence after learning of the government’s investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin McCullough and James Leventis are managing the case with support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is titled United States ex rel. Joyce v. Global Office Furniture, LLC, et al., No. 2:20-cv-01223-DCN.
It should be noted that these claims are allegations only; no liability has been determined at this time.
