An Empirical Examination of Product Counterfeiting Crime Impacting the U.S. Military

• In Event: Regulation and Prevention of White-Collar Crime

Abstract

Counterfeit parts in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) supply chain threaten national security by compromising critical military operations and placing the lives of military service members at risk. With the goal of illustrating the nature of the risk as it relates to types of counterfeit parts, how they entered the supply chain, and were identified and processed through the criminal justice system, we assemble and analyze open-source information on criminal schemes involving counterfeits impacting the U.S. military. We utilize the Product Counterfeiting Database (PCD) to capture every indicted criminal scheme linked to the DOD, analyzing various characteristics of the schemes, offenders, and victims involved. We conclude with an overview of key issues to consider when weighing risks and opportunities for product counterfeiting as well as implications for policy and practice.

Authors

• Brandon A Sullivan, Michigan State University

• Jeremy M Wilson, Michigan State University