CBP, HSI Agents Arrest Individual Importing Fraudulent Vehicle Safety Features
Federal prosecutors allege Emiliano Rodriguez, a mechanic, fraudulently importing counterfeit airbags from China and installing the counterfeit parts into used vehicles for resale, defrauding customers from 2017 into 2019. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized 450 airbags and other parts associated with Rodriguez's operation.
Indictment charges Rodriguez with one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, and two counts of causing the delivery of hazardous materials by air carrier in connection with a scheme to resell counterfeit goods by attaching them to used vehicles.
China remains one of the largest exporters of counterfeit products to the United States. Individuals involved in the scheme sell counterfeit airbags to increase profit margins by lowering the costs of the parts used to replace the original ones as consumers are often unaware of the history of the parts used in the reconstruction of used vehicles.
“The hazards posed to unsuspecting motorists and the general public by the alleged actions of the defendant in this case are enormous, and could have ramifications for years to come,” said U.S. Attorney Williams, “Safety equipment as important as vehicle airbags are subject to strict quality control standards to keep everyone safe, therefore when corners are cut by utilizing counterfeit goods, the consequences can be disastrous.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers made seizures of counterfeit vehicle airbag inflators in 2019 that culminated in the arrest of a suspect. When customs agents discovered a poorly wrapped parcel, it held 12 airbag inflators imported from Hong Kong. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subsequently confiscated the package.
Consumers who own vehicles with counterfeit air bags may be at risk, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration:
Consumers whose air bags have been replaced at a shop other than a new car dealer franchised to perform the repair;
Consumers who purchase an used car that may have been involved in an air bag deployment before purchasing; and,
Customers who have purchased replacement airbags from eBay or other non-certified sources, particularly if the prices were unusually low.
The CBP continues to prioritize intercepting counterfeit consumer goods at our nation's ports of entry. According to CBP, in Fiscal Year 2020, it seized 26,503 counterfeit goods worth an estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of more than $1.3 billion, in which the goods were authentic.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, $2,050,000 in fines, and $200 in special assessment.