Man Charged Over Imports of Counterfeit Airbags From China
Emiliano Rodriguez, a Dominican Republic citizen living in Philadephia, was arrested and charged with trafficking counterfeit goods and delivering hazardous materials by air carrier in a scheme to place counterfeit goods in used vehicles, the U.S. Attorneys' Office for the…
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Eastern District of Pennsylvania said. In this scheme, the used vehicles were then resold to "unsuspecting customers." From January 2017 through October 2019, Rodriguez, an auto mechanic, imported counterfeit airbags from China, placing the parts in used vehicles and then flipping them to customers. In all, federal agents seized over 450 counterfeit airbags from Rodriguez's home and business, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and fines of over $2 million if convicted. “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,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams said. “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."