AVIATION SUPPLIER FINED.

Byline: Deborah Adamson Daily News Staff Writer

A federal court judge on Monday ordered a Sun Valley aircraft parts supplier to pay a fine and cover other costs after the company pleaded guilty to intentionally selling counterfeit goods to the government.

Federal authorities charged White Aero Inc. with one count of trafficking in counterfeit ball bearings. Federal District Court Judge William Rea in Los Angeles imposed a $28,000 fine and billed the company $47,000 for the cost of the government's investigation.

The supplier had sold 161 bearings to the Department of Defense that were labeled from Bell Aviation, a well-known manufacturer.

But the bearings were not made by Bell Aviation and were the wrong type as well, authorities said.

The government paid $250 for each bearing, thinking they were aviation quality. White Aero substituted industrial bearings that cost $40 each.

``It was as if you were buying an industrial diamond for the price of a jewelers' diamond,'' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Shapiro.

The company's attorney did not return calls for comment. No one answered the phone at White Aero's corporate offices.

Aviation ball bearings fit into the tail rotor assembly of helicopters and are considered critical to flight safety.

Industrial ball bearings rust faster, wear out sooner and don't meet Federal Aviation Authority standards, Shapiro said.

However, no accidents resulted from using the White Aero bearings.

Federal authorities caught White Aero after a yearlong undercover investigation.

``This is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the military gets what it pays for,'' Shapiro said.