Cisco Networking Equipment Counterfeiter Who Sold Equipment for Fighter Jets Sentenced 6+ Years
On Wednesday May 1, Onur Aksoy was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison after pleading guilty on June 5, 2023, to “selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of counterfeit networking equipment” (Enuco). Between 2014 and 2022 “Aksoy created and ran one of the largest counterfeit-trafficking operations ever” (“District of New Jersey…”). Aksoy managed to counterfeit hundreds of millions of dollars of cisco equipment and sell it on “15 Amazon storefronts and at least 10 eBay storefronts” (Schappert). As well as his online storefronts he formed “at least 19 companies… in New Jersey and Florida” which he collectively called “Pro Network Entities” (Schappert).
The equipment he sold was old models of Cisco networking equipment that he repackaged, relabeled, and had been shipped from China and Hong Kong (“District of New Jersey…”). Counterfeiters also “added pirated Cisco software and unauthorized, low-quality, or unreliable components” (“District of New Jersey…”). Counterfeiters were also able to bypass “technological measures added by Cisco to the software to check for software license compliance and to authenticate the hardware” (“District of New Jersey…”).
According to the court files the equipment would frequently “fail or otherwise malfunction, causing significant damage to their users’ networks and operations – in some cases, costing users tens of thousands of dollars” (“District of New Jersey…”). Not only did the equipment not work properly, but anything coming from China poses a major security risk in today’s political world. If Aksoy wanted he could have spyware installed to send packets of information wherever he desired, or perhaps the damaged infrastructure was an act of malware preinstalled on the equipment. However, officials did not claim Aksoy attempted either act, but it could have been a very real possibility.
The equipment was placed within federal government facilities, some of which hold extremely classified or sensitive information and devices. For example, some equipment was used in “fighter jets like the F-15, F-18 and F-22″ and “support platforms of U.S. fighter jets” (Enuco).
It is an embarrassment how long Aksoy was able to counterfeit cisco equipment and sell it on Amazon and eBay to the United States Government and other buyers. Personally, it seems that the government should not be trying to cut corners when it comes to classified systems and fighter jets by buying cheap products off eBay. Not only could the equipment be of poor quality, but it could also have security risks such as spyware. But this isn’t all.
The government knew of the counterfeit activity since 2014, yet Aksoy was still able to sell to businesses and government agencies. During his 8-year counterfeit operations the “federal Customs and Border Protection Agency seized approximately 180 shipments to Pro Network Entities sent from China and Hong Kong” (Enuco). To get out of trouble Aksoy presented “false paperwork” to border patrol “under the alias Dave Durden” (Enuco). Aksoy attempted to trick border patrol in a few ways. He shipped packages in “smaller parcels… on different days… [and] used fake delivery addresses in Ohio” (“District of New Jersey…”). Somehow, despite border patrol knowing it was Aksoy and his Pro Network Entities he never landed in trouble until 2021. In fact, after receiving a “seizure notice” he continued to purchase “counterfeit Cisco products from the same supplier” (“District of New Jersey…”).
The real Cisco company also sent “seven Cease and Desist letters to Aksoy between 2014 to 2019” (Enuco). In response, Aksoy responded to two of them with “forged documents” (Enuco). Finally, in 2021 the feds searched “Aksoy’s warehouse and seized 1,156 counterfeit Cisco devices with a retail value of over $7 million” (“District of New Jersey…”). Thus, ending Aksoy’s counterfeiting operation.
As someone who has worked with Cisco equipment for only a few months in school I believe even I could have recognized something was up. It is hard to fathom how professionals who work with this equipment for a living and work on fighter jets could not have recognized signs of counterfeit equipment. Hundreds of millions of dollars and hours of professionals’ time were wasted on faulty equipment that had to be replaced and thrown out. The situation is especially baffling when you learn that both border patrol and Cisco knew and alerted authorities about the counterfeit situation. Likely, many of the warnings were ignored or unknown to the people making the purchasing decisions. Why purchase from Cisco themselves, when you can buy the same equipment for less off Amazon?
Hopefully this serves as a wake up call to prevent another counterfeiting disaster and not something that inspires more to attempt the same counterfeiting as Aksoy.
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“District of New Jersey | CEO of Dozens of Companies Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Massive Scheme to Traffic in Fraudulent and Counterfeit Cisco Networking Equipment | United States Department of Justice.” Www.justice.gov, 2 May 2024, www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/ceo-dozens-companies-sentenced-78-months-prison-massive-scheme-traffic-fraudulent-and
Enuco, Matthew “CEO gets 6 years for selling counterfeit equipment that ended up on fighter jets” Www.msn.com, www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/ceo-gets-6-years-for-selling-counterfeit-equipment-that-ended-up-on-fighter-jets/ar-AA1o3x1B
Schappert, Stefanie “Cisco fraudster will pay $100M restitution, serve prison time” cybernews.com https://cybernews.com/news/cisco-fraudster-will-pay-100m-restitution-serve-prison-time/