Gareth Raynor, a professional Rugby League player, has admitted running a printer ink cartridge scam worth nearly £40,000 from his home.
He pleaded guilty at Hull Crown Court to 14 counts of counterfeiting and one count of fraud and was warned by Judge Roger Thorn QC that he could face jail.
Raynor, a former Great Britain international now playing for Crusaders, sold ink cartridges on aution sites such as eBay through a company called Genuine-Ink.
However, the cartridges were filled with low-quality ink and sold in packaging bearing the brand of printer manufacturer Epson.
An Epson spokeswoman told Web User: “We would like to thank the law enforcement agencies for their significant support and the effort they have put into resolving this case. We take infringement of our intellectual property very seriously.
“Epson’s printers and printer driver software are designed to provide optimum performance together with genuine ink and media. That’s why Epson recommends the use of genuine Epson products in combination,” she continued.
Former Great Britain coach Brian Noble attended the hearing where Raynor admitted the offences but denied that the scam was worth over £100,000, as the prosecution had alleged.
Raynor will be sentenced at a later date.
Via: webuser.co.uk