4 Youngstown-area men indicted on counterfeiting charges

Staff report

CLEVELAND

A federal grand jury issued this week a seven-count indictment charging four Youngstown-area men with trafficking in counterfeit goods, the U.S. attorney said.

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

The indictment alleges that between December 2013 and July 2014 the defendants conspired to intentionally traffic in perfume, cologne, purses, headphones and boots bearing counterfeit marks.

The defendants sold the counterfeit goods below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the authentic goods, the U.S. attorney said.

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

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is being prosecuted by David M. Toepfer, a Youngstown-based assistant U.S. attorney.