(Source: Securingindustry.com)
The U.S Attorney’s Office posted an article on March 28, 2024, regarding a California man selling over $3.5 million worth of counterfeited fan assemblies to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), part of the Department of Defense (DoD).
To deceive the DLA into believing that the fan assemblies were genuine, a man from California produced counterfeit labels featuring the authentic company’s “registered trademarks” (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2024). To further validate the origin of the fan assemblies, he supplied the DLA with falsified tracing documents, which he fabricated and signed under a false identity. By selling these counterfeit products, he jeopardized United States national security and compromised the country’s ability to conduct effective combat operations.
Some of these counterfeit fans were either installed or intended for installation in “the electrical components of a nuclear submarine, a laser system on an aircraft, and a surface-to-air missile system” (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2024). Military-grade fan assemblies are essential in maintaining optimal performance, reliability, and operational effectiveness, all of which ensures the safety of U.S. soldiers and citizens.