PROVIDENCE, R.I. (KFGO) – A Burlington, North Dakota man will be sentenced Thursday in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a scheme to manufacture and sell more than $20 million in counterfeit goods from China to the U.S. military.
Terry Roe pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and traffic in counterfeit goods in February. Roe worked with two other men to have parkas and other items produced in China and Pakistan that carried fake labels identical to genuine U.S. trademarks. Many of the fake garments claimed to be weather-resistant but weren’t, and the sub-standard, defective gear put American troops at risk, prosecutors said.
The two other men involved in the scheme – New York City businessman Bernard Klein, 39, and New Jersey wholesaler Ramin Kohanbash, 50 – also pled guilty to the charges and received fines and prison time for their roles.
Roe worked as the operations manager at Dakota Outerwear, a Minot company that sells clothing and others items to the military, police and other government purchasers. Dakota Outwear, Roe, and their products were spotlighted during the a “Made in America” event at the White House sponsored by then-President Donald Trump in 2017.
The government reached a separate settlement under the federal False Claims Act with Dakota Outerwear for procuring and selling counterfeit goods to federal purchasers.
