North Carolina Man Sells Thousands of Bogus Airbags on eBay

A 27-year-old North Carolina man who’s part owner of an auto parts business is pleading guilty to selling thousands of counterfeit airbags.

Igor Borodin of Indian Hill pleaded guilty Monday and faces up to 15 years in prison and $2 million in fines when he is sentenced at a later date.

Prosecutors say that investigators in August seized more than 1,600 counterfeit airbags from Igor Borodin’s home and business. Authorities say he also sold 7,000 counterfeit airbags between February 2010 and May 2012 for $1.4 million.

Borodin bought the bogus airbags from China and then resold them on eBay.

Prosecutors say the airbags were dangerous. Independent testing of a counterfeit airbag sold by Borodin in September 2011 showed that the airbag did not properly inflate.