Reagan T. Fondren Acting United States Attorney for the Western District Of Tennessee | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee
A federal judge has sentenced Mohammed Al-Abadi, a 52-year-old Memphis resident, to two years in prison for trafficking counterfeit motor vehicle airbags and transporting hazardous materials without proper declaration. The sentencing, which also includes two years of supervised release, was finalized by United States District Judge Mark S. Norris on April 30, 2025. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney, announced the sentence.
Court records reveal that between 2017 and 2021, Al-Abadi imported counterfeit airbag parts from China and assembled them into fake airbags. These were sold on eBay to auto repair shops and individual buyers at prices ranging from $100 to $725 each. Federal agents intercepted a shipment ordered by Al-Abadi and recovered over 2,000 counterfeit airbag parts from his residence and business location. It was found that he had sold more than 500 counterfeit airbags over four years. Additionally, Al-Abadi shipped at least one counterfeit airbag via airplane without declaring it as dangerous.
Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations highlighted the safety risks posed by such counterfeit automotive parts: “The importation of counterfeit automotive parts poses a significant safety threat to the American people.” Joseph Harris from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General added that these airbags "pose a serious risk to public safety—both during shipping and when unknowingly installed by consumers."
Rodney Hopkins from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service emphasized the importance of consumer safety: “Mr. Al-Abadi put profit over safety in this case." Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted the case with investigations conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
