GRIMY NEWS: A Vancouver, Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Vehicle Airbags
In a stunning blow to the counterfeit goods trade, Vitaliy Yaremkiv, a 25-year-old from Vancouver, WA, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for his role in a conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. According to U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan, Yaremkiv was arrested on April 2, 2013, following an indictment by a grand jury in Seattle.
In a plea agreement, Yaremkiv admitted to selling over 900 counterfeit vehicle airbags between June 2011 and June 2012. He operated a business, Vital Auto Parts and Sales, from his Vancouver home, where he imported these fakes from sources in China and elsewhere. He then sold them online, falsely representing them as genuine products.
Yaremkiv’s internet sales through eBay topped $137,243, with individual Honda airbags selling for an asking price of $110. Authorities believe many of the airbags were purchased by independent garages, who unknowingly installed them in vehicles under the belief they were purchasing authentic parts. As part of his plea agreement, Yaremkiv has agreed to pay restitution totaling $137,243 to Honda Motors Corporation and Toyota Motors Corporation.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 23, 2013. U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton will determine Yaremkiv’s sentence, which could range up to the ten-year maximum allowed by law, although both sides are recommending a term of ten months in prison.
Consumers seeking information on counterfeit airbags can visit this website.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, with prosecution handled by Assistant United States Attorney Norman Barbosa.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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