Georgia man pleads guilty to selling counterfeit car parts
MACON, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia man has pleaded guilty to trafficking counterfeit car parts made in China and passing them off as authentic pieces from American car makers.
New outlets report 71-year-old Drexel C. Benton, of Thomasville, pleaded guilty on Friday. A U.S. Attorney's Office news release says a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent began investigating the possible scheme at Benton's "EZ Dealin" business in 2017.
At the same time, several packages from China to Benton's business were seized by customs agents and found to contain hundreds of parts with counterfeit logos and emblems. It says investigators from the car companies then bought items from Benton that they studied and found to be fake.
It says Benton made hundreds of thousands of dollars through the scheme.