A Minnesota man last week pleaded guilty to defrauding Cisco of more than $400,000 worth of networking gear, according to a DOJ news release.  From January 2001 to August 2002, Charles Levi Lytle - who worked as a sales rep for Edina, Minn., Interlink Communications -  and others at Interlink conspired to submit fraudulent Cisco SMARTnet claims to Cisco to receive "replacement" networking parts. The defendants and others then sold these “replacement” parts to customers and deposited the payments to Interlink’s bank account, according to the DOJ.

Lytle's sentencing is scheduled for April 9.

The case follows news of another scheme to defraud Cisco late last year when two brothers in Richmond, Texas were charged with conspiracy and trafficking in counterfeit Cisco goods.

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