A Macomb County man has been charged with multiple felonies in connection to allegedly selling counterfeit automotive safety systems online. Dinas Kamaitis, 31, is accused of putting motorists at risk by dealing in fake restraint systems, including airbags, on his eBay account. In a recent crackdown, more than $600,000 was seized from bank accounts tied to Kamaitis.
The seriousness of the matter was underlined by Attorney General Dana Nessel, who said in a statement obtained by FOX 2 Detroit, "Counterfeit parts are a serious public safety hazard on our roads." This sentiment was backed by an alarming statistic from Nessel's office, which suggests over 80% of counterfeit airbags may fail to deploy in an accident. An estimated 81,000 vehicles in Michigan could be equipped with these dangerous counterfeits.
Kamaitis, from New Baltimore, faces one count of using an computer to commit a crime, along with four counts each of delivery or possession of property with counterfeit identifying marks and of selling counterfeit supplemental restraint systems. These charges represent the first brought by the AG's Auto Fraud Task Force, recently given more resources and reach, as stated in a report by ClickOnDetroit.
"My newly expanded Auto Fraud Task Force is committed to holding accountable those who put Michiganders at risk," Nessel added. According to information from the Michigan Attorney General's Office shared by CBS Detroit, the malfunctioning counterfeit airbags not deploying properly could result in injury or death. Kamaitis is expected back in court on April 10.
