Florida Man Sentenced in Major Counterfeit Cisco Equipment Scheme

In a significant legal development, Onur Aksoy, a 40-year-old Florida resident and dual U.S.-Turkey citizen, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for operating a large-scale counterfeit Cisco equipment trafficking scheme. The operation, which spanned several years, significantly compromised U.S. military, healthcare, and educational institutions by infiltrating their systems with low-quality, fraudulent networking devices sourced from China and Hong Kong.

Aksoy, who managed 19 companies across New Jersey and Florida, along with numerous online storefronts on platforms like Amazon and eBay, was involved in importing and selling counterfeit networking equipment under the guise of legitimate Cisco products. These devices not only failed frequently but also posed severe risks to the networks they were part of, including those critical to U.S. military operations and sensitive governmental functions.

The case, which is one of the largest of its kind in U.S. history, highlights the extensive measures taken by criminals to integrate counterfeit products into the supply chain. The operation led to Aksoy agreeing to pay $100 million in restitution to Cisco, with additional compensation to be determined. This case underscores the ongoing challenges and threats posed by counterfeit technology in global supply chains, emphasizing the need for vigilance and stringent enforcement to protect national interests and public safety.