Rogelio Vasquez of PRB Logics Corp. in Orange County California was arrested May 1st for selling counterfeit electronic components, some of which were likely to be used in military applications. He faces many years in prison for putting his financial interest above the safety of our troops and citizens. His instructions to subcontractors overseas who were performing the counterfeiting and testing were very clear that he intended to defraud his customers. Read more…
The indictment alleges that Vasquez acquired old, used, and/or discarded integrated circuits from Chinese suppliers that had been repainted and remarked with counterfeit logos. The devices were further remarked with altered date codes, lot codes, or countries of origin and then resold in an effort to deceive customers and end users into thinking the integrated circuits were new, according to the indictment. The indictment identifies specific parts which have been determined to be counterfeit by the corresponding Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), namely Xilinx, Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., and Intel Corporation.
The sale of counterfeit integrated circuits into the stream of commerce is a significant problem for both U.S. military and commercial end users due to the increased risk of equipment failure from using salvaged, sub-standard, or wrong components. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, is assisting the Department of Justice, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the National Reconnaissance Office, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to convict Rogelio. He will then join a growing list of convicts who have put their wallet above the safety of our soldiers and citizens.
Robb Hammond is the President of AERI and the former chair of the Aerospace Industry’s Counterfeit Electronic Components Mitigation Standard for independent distributors, AS6081, which has become one of the industry’s most respected documents, as well as being adopted by the Department of Defense. Robb is one of the foremost thought leaders in the industry on counterfeit detection and speaks regularly at conferences around the globe.
