The new date of the sentencing hearing for New Jersey-based scammer Jonathan Kirschner is April 25.
District Court Judge Robert Kugler was scheduled to sentence Kirschner on Feb. 5 for his admitted crimes of falsely impersonating an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) as well as unlawfully importing counterfeit coins and bars into the U.S.; however, in late January, the prosecutors introduced a new class of victims.
A dozen sovereign mints, private mints and grading services are now invited to file impact statements and claim damages to their brands. This includes violations of trademarks and copyrights caused by counterfeits of their coins, precious metals bars and grading service holders, all of which Kirschner illegally imported into the U.S.
The new sentencing hearing date reflects both the 14-day response period for the new class of victims and delays in the court calendar caused by the recent U.S. federal government shutdown during December and January.
18-YEAR SENTENCE?
The charge of impersonating a federal officer carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and the charge of unlawful importation carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison.
If they were genuine, the counterfeit items seized from Kirschner’s home and packages addressed to him containing counterfeits seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service would have a current market value of more than $46 million USD.
VOICE YOUR OPINION
Collectors and dealers wishing to voice their opinions regarding an appropriate sentence for Kirschner can write to Judge Robert B. Kugler, U.S. District Court, Mitchell H. Cohen Building & U.S. Courthouse, 4th & Cooper Streets, PO Box 889, Camden, NJ 08101-0889.
Reference the case and number at the beginning of the letter: U.S. v. JONATHAN A. KIRSCHNER, DOCKET NO. 18-00360-001.
Courtesy copies of letters sent to the Kugler should also be sent to Joshua R. MacAvoy, Senior United States Probation Officer, 50 Walnut St., Room 1001 Newark, NJ 07102.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF), through its Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, assisted U.S. Homeland Security Investigations in its investigation of Kirschner and provided experts to identify the counterfeits seized by law enforcement.