Man who sold $20 million in counterfeit military gear to US gets 40 months in prison
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Brooklyn clothing wholesaler who sold $20 million in Chinese-made counterfeit military uniforms and gear to the U.S. government was sentenced to 40 months in prison Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced.
Ramin Kohanbash, 52, will also have to make restitution to the companies he victimized, including a Rhode Island company that reported a loss of more than $639,000 in profits and damage to its relationships with long-standing military clients, according to a news release from Cunha's office.
Kohanbash pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and trafficking in counterfeit goods, according to Cunha.
Kohanbash, who was charged with two others, directed the development, manufacturing and importation of the counterfeit U.S. military uniforms and gear that were passed off as genuine American-made products, according to Cunha.
U.S. law requires that military uniforms are produced in the United States. The scheme ran from January 2013 until October 2018, according to court filings.
The counterfeit goods, including parkas, hoods and fleece shirts, were sold to the U.S. government for use by the Air Force. Some of the uniforms lacked important safety features or failed to meet safety specifications, endangering servicemen and women, according to Cunha.
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For example, prosecutors said, the military bought at least 13,332 counterfeit jackets that weren't obscure to enemies' night-vision goggles, and 18,597 hoods that weren't flame resistant.
"American servicemen and women risk their lives every day in defense of the nation,” Cunha said. "But the risks they face should never come from the uniforms they wear, and the equipment they carry. In this case, defendants’ actions did exactly that, substituting substandard, foreign-made knockoffs for American products. I am tremendously pleased that the defendants charged in this matter are being held accountable for their actions."
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Among Kohanbash's victims, according to court documents, was United Associates Limited of North Kingstown, which manufactures and sells protective clothing to the military and other government agencies.
As part of an investigative purchase, counterfeit goods were sold to the Rhode Island National Guard in East Greenwich, the U.S. Attorney's Office said previously.
A co-defendant, Bernard Klein, 41, of Brooklyn, was sentenced in April 2021 to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also fined and ordered to pay restitution.
A third defendant, Terry Roe, 49, of Burlington, North Dakota, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20. He pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and traffic in counterfeit goods.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Man gets prison after selling $20 million in counterfeit military gear
