NEW YORK—The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) have arrested Vitaly Borker, operator of OpticsFast.com, an online eyewear retailer, charging him with mail and wire fraud and harassment of customers.

Borker, who had previously served a three-year term in prison for threatening bodily harm to customers from another site, DécorMyEyes, several years ago, is now being charged in connection with a scheme to defraud unsuspecting customers by mispresenting the authenticity and condition of eyeglasses sold through the OpticsFast.com website and to harass customers who complained or attempted to return their purchases.

On May 25, Joon H. Kim, the acting United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated on the office’s website, “As alleged, Vitaly Borker ran his eyewear business, OpticsFast.com, as an online platform for fraud, selling defective and counterfeit merchandise. And as alleged, when his customers rightfully complained or tried to get their money back, Borker harassed and abused them.

“Borker’s shameless brand of alleged abuse cannot be tolerated, and we are committed to protecting consumers from becoming victims of such criminal behavior. We thank our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their shared commitment to this mission.”

USPIS Inspector in Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: “As the adage goes, what goes around comes around—Mr. Borker took this to the extreme when he allegedly devised his fraud scheme to cheat consumers attempting to purchase eyewear. His cool shades couldn’t shield him from the bright light of law enforcement who illuminated his alleged illicit scheme. He should have realized he could never outwit Postal Inspectors.”

Borker, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with mail fraud and wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Kim noted that the investigation is ongoing. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicolas Landsman-Roos and Danielle R. Sassoon are in charge of the prosecution.