Counterfeit equipment was sold to both govt & private sector companiesAuthorities aware of fraud for yearsSentence aimed to send strong messageA Miami-based tech CEO, Onur Aksoy (also known as Ron Aksoy and Dave Durden), has been sentenced to over six years in prison for running a large-scale operation selling fake Cisco equipment .Aksoy pleaded guilty in June 2023 to charges including conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud.
This included sensitive U.S. government systems used by the Navy, Air Force, and Army.
Counterfeit shipments were seized, and Aksoy was ordered to cease operations.
However, he continued the scheme with the help of Chinese suppliers.
These suppliers would modify used or discarded Cisco products to appear legitimate and install pirated software.Vikas Khanna, US attorney, emphasised the vastness of the operation and the potential harm caused.
Counterfeit equipment was sold to both govt & private sector companies
Authorities aware of fraud for years
Sentence aimed to send strong message
A Miami-based tech CEO, Onur Aksoy (also known as Ron Aksoy and Dave Durden), has been sentenced to over six years in prison for running a large-scale operation selling fake Cisco equipment .Aksoy pleaded guilty in June 2023 to charges including conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Through 19 companies and online storefronts operating from 2013 to 2022, he resold counterfeit Cisco products with an estimated retail value exceeding $1 billion.These entities, collectively known as Pro Network Entities, sold the fake networking products on Amazon and eBay.As part of the plea agreement, Aksoy is required to pay $100 million in restitution to Cisco and other victims.The counterfeit equipment infiltrated critical infrastructure, compromising both private and public sectors. This included sensitive U.S. government systems used by the Navy, Air Force, and Army. The fake parts jeopardized operations for fighter jets, bombers, helicopters, and maritime patrol aircraft.Furthermore, schools and hospitals were also unknowingly affected by the shoddy equipment, which often malfunctioned or failed entirely after installation.Aksoy's fraudulent activity was detected by U.S. authorities and Cisco as early as 2014. Counterfeit shipments were seized, and Aksoy was ordered to cease operations. However, he continued the scheme with the help of Chinese suppliers. These suppliers would modify used or discarded Cisco products to appear legitimate and install pirated software.Vikas Khanna, US attorney, emphasised the vastness of the operation and the potential harm caused. The sentencing, he stated, holds Aksoy accountable for the "breathtaking scale" of the counterfeit scheme.Cisco is said to have faced challenges in recent years due to supply chain disruptions, making it more vulnerable to counterfeit activity.
