Ramin Kohanbash, Counterfeit Goods Conspiracy, Rhode Island 2019

Ramin Kohanbash, 49, a Brooklyn, N.Y., clothing and goods wholesaler, has been charged in connection with the alleged sale of over $20 million worth of Chinese-made counterfeit goods to the United States military and other government purchasers.

The charges were filed in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., on June 12, 2019, in an ongoing investigation. Kohanbash is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud and trafficking in counterfeit goods.

According to the allegations, Kohanbash worked with other members of the conspiracy to provide samples of actual military uniforms and gear to manufacturers in China to replicate. They also provided photographs, descriptions, and samples of tags and labels to be attached to the knockoff products, making them appear legitimate.

The counterfeit goods were then shipped to Kohanbash and sold to other wholesalers, who marketed and sold them to military and government buyers as genuine, American-made products. To sell the counterfeit goods, Kohanbash allegedly provided wholesalers with false certification letters claiming that the goods were made in the U.S., and therefore complied with the Berry Amendment.

The information alleges that among the items Kohanbash and his co-conspirators arranged to counterfeit were military parkas used by U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in Afghanistan. These parkas are made with a fabric known as Multicam, which incorporates specialized near-infrared management technology. However, the counterfeit parkas lacked the critical NIR management technology.

The filing of the information in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., is announced by United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Aaron L. Weisman and other law enforcement officials.

Kohanbash is scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on June 12, 2019, for an initial appearance on the charges contained in the information.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/wholesaler-charged-conspiracy-manufacture-and-sell-counterfeit-clothing-and-other-goods