Counterfeit Cisco gear was found in US military bases, used in combat operations

A Florida resident was found guilty of selling fake Cisco equipment that put the safety of the US military at risk and brought in $100 million.

Onur Aksoy, who is also known as Ron Aksoy and Dave Durden, pleaded guilty on June 5, 2023. He was charged with planning to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and counterfeit goods trafficking with others. He was punished on May 1 with three years of supervised release, a $40,000 fine, and a $100 million payment to Cisco. Aksoy will have to compensate his victims with an amount determined by a court at a later date, according to the DOJ.

The indictment says that Aksoy began planning the scheme in August 2013, and it continued until at least April 2022. Aksoy sold many computer networking equipment through various channels, including 19 businesses, about 15 Amazon storefronts, 10 eBay ones, and direct sales. These channels are known as Pro Network Entities. To pass them off as new, he imported goods from China and Hong Kong. He utilized counterfeit Cisco labels, packaging, and documentation. According to the indictment, legitimate versions of the items would have sold for over $1 billion.

Aksoy received millions of dollars this week, and the devices were worth "hundreds of millions of dollars" at retail.

US military officials stated that equipment obtained through Aksoy's plan was used in important applications, such as support platforms for US fighter jets and other military aircraft.

Bryan Denny accused Aksoy of fraudulently providing counterfeit goods to the Department of Defense, which were later used in important military and government applications. This included equipment for the US Navy, Air Force, and Army, as well as hospitals and schools.