Two Denver-area companies and their top executives have been charged with defrauding the United States’ government after they allegedly conspired to import forklifts from China and misrepresent their origins to federal agencies buying the forklifts.

Court documents reveal Endless Sales, Octane Forklifts, current executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel, and former executive JR Antczak, have each been charged with conspiring to avoid paying proper tariffs on forklifts imported into the US.

The documents allege the men and businesses “conspired to import forklifts from China, disguise the Chinese origin of the forklifts, and then sell the forklifts to federal government agencies by fraudulently representing the forklifts as being manufactured in the United States”.

“The indictment also alleges that Endless, Octane, Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak conspired with an unnamed Chinese national and a Chinese manufacturer to create fake commercial invoices that fraudulently undervalued the cost of forklifts that Endless and Octane imported into the United States,” the US Department of Justice states. “Thereby defrauding the government of over USD1 million in applicable tariffs, duties, and fees.”

The executives are each additionally charged with separate wire fraud charges, and Blasdel is also charged with making false statements to the government.

“Defrauding the United States to profit from goods made in adversarial nations like China undermines our economic and national security,” says Attorney General Pamela Bondi. 

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting American taxpayer dollars, defending our national security against those who would undermine it, and holding accountable anyone who pursues illegal profits over our country.”

Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General adds: “Octane Forklifts, Endless Sales, and their executives allegedly engaged in a brazen scheme to sell rebranded Chinese made forklifts to FEMA and the Department of Defense, all while falsely certifying their compliance with the Buy America Act”.

“It is especially reprehensible that this alleged fraud involved a FEMA contract using disaster funds,” Cuffari continued.