PROVIDENCE – In a stunning revelation, Brooklyn clothing and goods wholesaler Ramin Kohanbash, 49, faces charges in a massive conspiracy to defraud the U.S. military by selling over $20 million worth of counterfeit goods. The allegations, filed in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, claim that Kohanbash orchestrated the sale of fake military uniforms and gear to the United States military and other government purchasers.
According to court documents, Kohanbash provided actual military samples to Chinese manufacturers, ensuring that knockoff products were nearly indistinguishable from genuine articles. The defendant is accused of using U.S. trademarks on counterfeit goods by copying brand names and adding them to foreign-made versions.
The Berry Amendment and the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) require goods sold to the military and certain government buyers to be made in the United States or specified countries. Kohanbash, it is alleged, falsified certification letters to deceive wholesalers into believing that the counterfeit goods were compliant with these laws.
Among the items counterfeited were Multicam® parkas used by U.S. Air Force personnel, lacking crucial near-infrared (NIR) management technology. Labels on these and other items claimed false safety standards. In one instance, a hood labeled as flame-resistant was anything but, putting users at risk.
The investigation into Kohanbash’s scheme includes agencies such as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations Newark, NJ.
Kohanbash is set to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on June 12, 2019, for an initial appearance on the charges brought against him. An information is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Public Corruption|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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