Youngstown-area men indicted for sale of $275,000 worth of counterfeit goods

A federal grand jury sitting returned a seven-count indictment charging four Youngstown-area men with trafficking in counterfeit goods, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Indicted are: Ashraf Mishmish, 49, of Boardman; Raed Khatib, 52, of Boardman; Wesam Mishmish, 20, of Austintown; and Khaled Wakhyan, 30, of Boardman.

The indictment alleges that in or about December 2013 through July 2014, Ashraf Mishmish, Raed Khatib, Wesam Mishmish, and Khaled Wakhyan conspired and agreed to intentionally traffic in counterfeit goods, specifically perfume, cologne, purses, headphones, jackets and boots.  It was a part of the conspiracy that the defendants obtained perfume, cologne, boots, purses and headphones bearing counterfeit marks.  The defendants then sold the counterfeit goods at a price below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the authentic goods.

According to the indictment, the defendants committed the following acts in furtherance of the conspiracy:

On or about December 15, 2013, Khaled Wakhyan offered for sale 93 jackets, 104 bottles of perfume/cologne, 25 sets of headphones, and 32 pairs of boots bearing counterfeit marks.

On or about June 21, 2014, Raed Khatib offered for sale 249 bottles of perfume/cologne, and 34 sets of headphones bearing counterfeit marks.

On or about June 21, 2014, Wesam Mishmish offered for sale 268 bottles of perfume/cologne and 42 sets of headphones bearing counterfeit marks.

On or about July 25, 2014, Wesam Mishmish offered for sale 212 bottles of perfume/cologne and 97 sets of headphones bearing counterfeit marks.

On or about July 25, 2014, Ashraf Mishmish offered for sale 332 bottles of perfume/cologne, 80 sets of headphones, and five purses, bearing counterfeit marks.

On or about July 25, 2014, Raed Khatib offer for sale 197 bottles of perfume/cologne and 70 sets of headphones bearing counterfeit marks.

On or about July 25, 2014, Ashraf Mishmish possessed 635 bottles of perfume/cologne, 115 sets of headphones, and 39 pairs of boots, bearing counterfeit marks.

In total, the defendants possessed and offered for sale counterfeit items with a domestic value of approximately $95,854 and with the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $273,872.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.   The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.