Ex-girlfriend of 5566's Tony Sun jailed for selling fake branded goods

Ting Hsiao-chin, also known as T-ana, came to prominence after releasing her debut album Dancing Spirits in 1999. PHOTO: T-ANA HSIAO-CHIN/ WEIBO

Taiwanese actress Ting Hsiao-chin will be going to jail for two years and six months, after the island's Supreme Court upheld a ruling by a lower court on Monday.

Ting, former girlfriend of boy band 5566's Tony Sun, was convicted of 13 counts of fraud and violation of Taiwan's Trademark Act after she was found guilty of selling fake luxury goods. She also failed to deliver the goods to buyers in some instances.

Ting, 41, who is also known by her stage name T-ana, started selling luxury goods in 2015. She registered accounts on several online shopping sites to offer high-end products such as branded bags, shoes, clothes and cosmetic items.

Ting claimed that the items were "90 per cent new" and came with authenticity cards.

Prosecutors said she had made about NT$170,000 (S$8,000) in illegal profits from 13 counts of fraud.

Three buyers who bought items between NT$7,500 and NT$40,000 sought refunds from Ting after finding out that the goods were fake.

Another nine buyers spent between NT$800 and NT$30,000 on what they thought were new goods. But some received second-hand goods while others did not get their items even after they had paid.

Ting claimed during the first trial that she was unsure about the transactions as she had lent her accounts to a friend named Natasha. But the judge criticised her for her poor judgment and sentenced her to jail for three years and six months.

During a second trial, before Taiwan's Intellectual Property Court, Ting admitted it was her fault and sought to reach a settlement with the victims. She also issued a public apology in the hopes of reducing her sentence.

Last year, the court upheld her conviction, but reduced her sentence to two years and six months' jail.

Ting came to prominence after releasing her debut album Dancing Spirits in June 1999. She followed that up with a second album, Walking 2000, in December the same year.

She then turned to acting, taking up roles in television serials such as Tomorrow (2002) and Cool Wife And Cute Husband (2006).

Ting went into the fashion business after setting up her own fashion shop Tatianna in 2006.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 21, 2020, with the headline Ex-girlfriend of 5566's Tony Sun jailed for selling fake branded goods. Subscribe