DoD bought phony military gear made in China, including counter-night vision clothing that didn't ac

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/05/30/dod-bought-phony-military-gear-made-in-china-including-counter-night-vision-clothing-that-didnt-actually-work/

DoD bought phony military gear made in China, including counter-night vision clothing that didn’t actually work

By: Kyle Rempfer    1 day ago

The U.S. military, government agencies and other purchasers bought more than $20 million worth of Chinese-made counterfeit goods designed to look like domestically produced gear from a company that defrauded the government and helped to orchestrate the counterfeiting process between January 2013 and October 2018, Justice Department officials said last week.

The counterfeit gear included 200 specialized parkas designed to counter night vision goggles that would have been used by U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in Afghanistan. But the Multicam APECS Parkas sold to an unnamed U.S. Air Force base supply center didn’t actually do that, which could have put troops’ lives at risk.

Those types of parkas use a near-infrared technology woven into the fabric that is designed to make the wearer more difficult for enemy forces to detect with equipment such as night-vision goggles, justice officials said. The counterfeit versions, however, lacked the near-infrared technology, unbeknownst to the wearer.

The sales were in violation of the Berry Amendment and the Trade Agreements Act, which require goods sold to the military and certain government buyers to be manufactured in either the United States or select countries.
(snip)

Ramin Kohanbash, 49, and other associates, operated a Brooklyn, New York, clothing and goods wholesaler. He and his associates sent samples of legitimate U.S. military uniforms and gear to Chinese manufacturers, who then replicated the designs, according to a May 21 filing in U.S. District Court. Kohanbash instructed, via email, on what changes should be made to the counterfeit goods or their labels, helping to guide the process, according to justice officials.
(snip)