PROVINCE REPORT
MIAMI: A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has indicted a Pakistani national for allegedly operating an unauthorized website that sold more than 5.1 million counterfeit U.S. postage labels, causing over $126 million in losses to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
According to court records, Faheem Akram, 33, of Khanewal, Pakistan, allegedly operated LabelsBank.com, which sold counterfeit postage labels at fixed prices, typically around $2 per label, regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination.
US authorities said the website was not authorised to sell USPS products or services. The counterfeit labels allegedly enabled customers to ship packages at rates significantly below legitimate USPS charges, resulting in lost revenue and shipping costs for the Postal Service.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the alleged scheme involved more than 5.1 million counterfeit labels and resulted in more than $126 million in losses. He said the website had been shut down and its domain seized following the investigation.
According to the investigation, more than 5,200 individuals used the website to purchase counterfeit shipping labels. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division investigated the case.
Akram faces one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make and sell counterfeit postage stamps, five counts of making and selling counterfeit postage stamp labels, and four counts of wire fraud.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy and counterfeit postage charges and up to 20 years on each wire fraud count.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Juenger and Jacqueline DerOvanesian, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
