Raleigh NCDOT worker pleads guilty to sale of counterfeit car airbags
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Raleigh man pled guilty March 11 to importing thousands of counterfeit car steering wheel airbags into the Raleigh area during the past two years.
The counterfeit airbags were sold locally and to online buyers through Facebook Marketplace.
According to court documents and other records, Mateen Mohammad Alinaghian, 31, an engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), imported approximately 2,500 counterfeit airbags into Raleigh between May 2022 and April 2024.
"Airbags are critical life-saving devices that are designed and produced to protect motorists. Counterfeit airbags pose a serious threat to the safety of consumers," said Cardell T. Morant, special agent in charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. "HSI actively collaborates with its law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that seek to exploit global commerce and threaten legitimate supply chains."
Alinaghian imported steering wheel airbags with counterfeit markings of Honda, Acura, Chevrolet, General Motors, and Toyota from a supplier in the United Kingdom. He then sold the counterfeit airbags to unsuspecting customers using Facebook Marketplace, records showed.
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The Department of Justice said Alinaghian used the Facebook Marketplace seller profile of "Matt AutoParts" or "Medo Smith" to advertise and sell the airbags.
Testing by Honda, General Motors, and Toyota showed that the airbags in question were not manufactured by the car companies and often "included materials of lesser quality."
In testing, the counterfeit airbags often malfunctioned, either not fully inflating or inflating late, posing a potentially serious risk of injury to the vehicle driver, the DOJ said.
"The sale of counterfeit air bags that are not regulated or tested to ensure they meet federal safety standards puts drivers and those on our nation's roadways at serious risk," said Greg Thompson, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region. "Today's guilty plea is the result of an unwavering commitment to safety demonstrated together with our law enforcement, prosecutorial, and agency partners."
During the investigation, authorities searched Alinaghian's house and seized approximately 20 counterfeit airbags. Customs and Border Control seized several inbound packages from the United Kingdom containing counterfeit airbags en route to Alinaghian's address.
"In this case, the defendant put profit over safety by selling counterfeit airbags that had the potential to put drivers in harm's way if the airbags malfunctioned during a collision," said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. "I'm so proud of the cooperation on display by this investigative team, which included partnering with our state, federal and international colleagues, and will hold Mr. Alinaghian responsible for his illegitimate enterprise."
After identifying that Alinaghian was importing the counterfeit airbags from a source in the United Kingdom, London police units executed a search warrant on Sept. 19 at two homes and one business and seized 500 counterfeit airbags and an estimated $140,000 in cash. Three men were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to distribute counterfeit goods. That investigation is still ongoing
"Selling and using counterfeit car airbags can have dangerous consequences," said North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall. "Our strong partnerships with the brand holders and law enforcement was crucial to uncovering this serious threat and taking them off the market may have saved lives."
People who suspect they purchased a counterfeit airbag should go to their dealership or a reputable mechanic to determine whether the parts need to be replaced. They should also report the incident to their local Homeland Security Investigations office or submit an online complaint to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Anyone who believes they were a victim of Alinaghian's scheme is asked to please contact HSI at (919) 677-6392.
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