Espionage and terrorist aid comes in many forms. One of the most
insidious and often overlooked is the case of industrial espionage that
results in violations of arms trade and special items export laws. The
latter can include krytons that are used for nuclear triggers, radar,
communications or computing systems, or items that fall under the
munitions export laws (encryption devices, night vision goggles, bullet
proof vests, etc.). Recipients of these devices range from Iran
to China and these criminal activities might also be right on the edge
of treasonous behavior as
well as support for terrorism.
The cases below are taken from the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agency of the Department of Homeland Security files. 1
U.S. Fighter Jet and Helicopter Components to China
-On February 9, 2006, pursuant to an ICE investigation, Ko-Suen Moo and
Maurice Serge Voros, a French national currently living in France, were
indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida
for conspiracy to export defense articles to the People’s Republic of
China. Both Moo and Voros were indicted for violation of 18 USC 371,
conspiracy; 22 USC 2778, Arms Export Control Act (AECA); 22 CFR
129.2(a), brokering the sale and transfer of defense articles; 18 USC
1956(a), financial transaction involving proceeds of unlawful activity;
18 USC 1956(h), conspiring to commit a money laundering offense; and 18
USC 981 (a)(1)(C) and 982 (a)(1), forfeiture of all real and personal
property and proceeds involved in the offense. In March 2004, ICE/Fort
Lauderdale developed information that Moo and Voros were allegedly
seeking to acquire controlled technology for export to the PRC.
Pursuant to several undercover meetings, ICE agents determined that Moo
and Voros were attempting to acquire F-16 military aircraft engines for
export from the United States to China without an export license. In
November 2005, Moo arrived from Taiwan and ICE undercover agents showed
him several F-16 military fighter aircraft engines at Homestead Air
Force Base in Homestead, FL. Moo subsequently wire transferred
approximately $140,000 to an ICE undercover bank account to cover the
transportation costs of the engine. Following the wire transfer of
funds, Moo was arrested by ICE. Moo’s trial is scheduled for July 12,
2006. ICE Ft. Lauderdale and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are currently
coordinating with the ICE Attaché/Paris and the French National
Police
to gain the cooperation of Voros.
U.S. Military Aircraft Parts to Thailand -Iran
were attempting to obtain pressure sensors used in black box data
recording devices for aircraft. Agents initiated an undercover sale of
the pressure sensors to one of the individuals, identified as Mohammad
Fazeli. Fazeli was later observed attempting to export the pressure
sensors to Saeed Majed, an Iranian national living in Iran. ICE agents
detained the package, and subsequently interviewed Fazeli. FAZELI
admitted to the attempt to illegally export the pressure sensors to
Majed in Iran. On March 16, 2006, ICE Los Angeles agents arrested
Fazeli pursuant to an indictment and arrest warrant from the Central
District of California for attempting to illegally export the aircraft
parts to Iran in violation of 50 USC 1702, International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 18 USC 371, conspiracy to violate IEEPA;
and 18 USC 1001, false statements.
U.S. Aircraft Parts to Iran - In September 2004,
ICE Los Angeles agents obtained information that individuals in Iran
were attempting to obtain pressure sensors used in black box data
recording devices for aircraft. Agents initiated an undercover sale of
the pressure sensors to one of the individuals, identified as Mohammad
Fazeli. Fazeli was later observed attempting to export the pressure
sensors to Saeed Majed, an Iranian national living in Iran. ICE agents
detained the package, and subsequently interviewed Fazeli. FAZELI
admitted to the attempt to illegally export the pressure sensors to
Majed in Iran. On March 16, 2006, ICE Los Angeles agents arrested
Fazeli pursuant to an indictment and arrest warrant from the Central
District of California for attempting to illegally export the aircraft
parts to Iran in violation of 50 USC 1702, International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 18 USC 371, conspiracy to violate IEEPA;
and 18 USC 1001, false statements.
U.S. Fighter Jet Components to Iran - On July
6,
2005, Iranian businessman Abbas Tavakolian, 58, was sentenced to 57
months incarceration and 2 years supervised release pursuant to
pleading guilty to Arms Export Control Act and money laundering
violations. Tavakolian pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to
illegally export F-4 and F-14 fighter jet components to Iran. Beginning
in January 2004, Tavakolian and his son-in-law Hossein Vaezi, sought to
obtain 100 gunnery systems for the U.S. fighter jets from suppliers in
Maryland for export to Iran. Undercover ICE agents later met with
Tavakolian in Europe to discuss the transactions. Tavakolian arranged
for $20,000 to be wired to undercover ICE agents as a down payment for
the arms deal, which totaled approximately $380,000. In December 2004,
Tavakolian met undercover ICE agents in the South Pacific to finalize
the deal with $100,000 in cash. He was arrested after additional
undercover meetings in which he sought to acquire several fully
assembled F-14 fighter jet aircraft for future shipment to Iran.
Night Vision Technology and Electronics Components to
China
- On May 6, 2004, Zhao Xin ZHU and John CHU were arrested for
Conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA): 22 USC 2778
and 18 USC 371. On May 18, 2004, a federal grand jury convened in the
District of Massachusetts, during which Sunny BAI, ZHU and CHU were
indicted for conspiracy to violate the AECA: 18 USC 371. In May 2003,
SAC Boston agents received information that BAI was attempting to
obtain U.S. origin Generation III night vision equipment, military
grade power converters and traveling wave tubes used in satellite and
radar applications for export to the PRC. Undercover agents confirmed a
contract for $163,000 worth of military grade power converters for
export to the PRC with ZHU, CHU and BAI. In mid-February 2004, agents
received a wire transfer in the amount of $48,882.00, representing a
down payment for the power converters. On September 12, 2005, CHU was
found not guilty by jury trial pursuant to his charge of conspiracy, 18
USC 371. On September 28, 2005, Zhao Xin ZHU was sentenced to 24 months
in prison and three years of supervised release pursuant to his guilty
plea to one count of conspiracy, 18 USC 371, on May 6, 2005.
U.S. Fighter Jet Components to Jordan - On
June
15, 2005, Arif Ali Durrani, a Pakistani national, was arrested at Los
Angeles International Airport pursuant to a sealed indictment in the
Central District of California charging him with two counts of
violating the Arms Export Control Act. The indictment alleged that in
1994, Durrani illegally exported more than 100 compressor blades for
the General Electric J-85 military aircraft engine through his now
defunct company, Lonestar Aerospace. Durrani has a previous 1987
conviction for illegally exporting HAWK missile components to Iran. It
is suspected that after Durrani served his sentence he began living in
Mexico. Mexican authorities arrested Durrani on June 12, 2005, for
being illegally in Mexico. Durrani was being deported to Pakistan when
ICE agents met his connecting flight in Los Angeles and took him into
custody. In November of 2004, an additional investigation out of San
Diego, California, was initiated into the activities of Durrani for the
illegal export of aircraft parts to various countries. On September 26,
2005, as a result of the San Diego investigation, Durrani was arrested
via a criminal complaint obtained in the Southern District of
California for conspiracy (18 USC 371) to violate the Arms Export
Control Act (AECA), 22 USC 2778. On September 26, 2005, the charges
from the Central District of California were dismissed. On September
29, 2005, in the Southern District of California, a grand jury returned
a true bill indicting Arif Ali DURRANI, a Pakistani citizen, on one
count of 18, USC 371, conspiracy and four counts of 22 USC 2778, AECA.
Pursuant to this investigation, one co-conspirator pleaded guilty to a
conspiracy violation in August 2005 and sentencing is scheduled for
November 2005. Further, on October 18, 2005, a second DURRANI
co-conspirator pled guilty to three counts of 22 U.S.C. 2778, AECA.
Both co-conspirators have agreed to testify against Durrani. On March
17, 2006, a federal jury in the Southern District of California
convicted Durrani of violating 22 USC 2778, AECA and 18 USC 371,
conspiracy. The sentencing hearing for Durrani will be set on a later
date.
Assault Rifles to Colombian Terrorist Organization
- On April 19, 2005, ICE agents arrested Alberto Correa, a Colombian
national, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on charges of violating the Arms
Export Control Act. During several undercover meetings with ICE agents,
Correa had negotiated and attempted to purchase 80 AK-47 assault
rifles, an M-60 machinegun, and an M-16 machine gun for illegal export
to the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) in Colombia, a
U.S.-designated terrorist organization. On June 8, 2005, Correa pled
guilty to violating the Arms Export Control Act. Subsequent
investigation resulted in the arrest and subsequent convictions of two
co-conspirators for violations of the Arms Export Control Act. Further,
a federal grand jury issued a true bill indictment of the two
additional co-conspirators. On March 3, 2006, ICE Ft. Lauderdale agents
arrested one of the additional co-conspirators, Hector Rodriguez, for
his role in the attempt to acquire AK-47 assault rifles. Attempts are
being made to secure the arrest of the final fugitive.
Missile and Fighter Jet Components to China - On
April 12, 2005, Xiuwen “Jennifer” Liang, 34, was sentenced to 30 months
imprisonment and fined $6,000 in Los Angeles for conspiring to
illegally export parts for the F-14 fighter jet and as well as
components for the HAWK, TOW and AIM-9 Sidewinder missile systems to
China. ICE agents arrested Liang and her husband, Jinghua Zhuang, 48,
in February 2003 as a result of a lengthy undercover investigation
targeting U.S. companies that illegally sold defense articles over the
Internet to foreign buyers. Zhuang was previously sentenced to 30
months imprisonment for his role in the scheme. The couple owned a
company in Thousand Oaks, California, called Maytone International.
Components with Nuclear Weapons Applications to Pakistan
& India
- On April 8, 2005, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
unsealed an indictment against Humayun Khan, 47, of Pakistan, charging
him with illegally exporting oscilloscopes with nuclear weapons
applications to Pakistan. Kahn was also charged with plotting to
illegally export 66 nuclear detonator devices from the U.S. to
Pakistan, via South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. On the same
day, prosecutors announced that Asher Karni, 51, an Israeli national
who resided in South Africa, pleaded guilty to charges that he worked
with Khan to illegally export the oscilloscopes and nuclear triggers to
Pakistan. Karni also pleaded guilty to charges that he illegally
exported sensitive U.S. electronics to facilities in India that are
involved in that nation’s nuclear and missile development program. The
indictment of Khan and the guilty plea by Karni resulted from an
extensive investigation by Commerce Department and ICE agents in
Boston, Denver, and South Africa. Khan, who operated Pakland PME
Corporation in Pakistan, remains at large. Karni, who owned Top-Cape
Technology in South Africa, was recently sentenced to 36 months
incarceration. The investigation is ongoing.
Iran Embargo Violations - On April 6, 2005, a
grand jury in the Northern District of Oklahoma returned an indictment
against Gastech Engineering Corporation for evading and avoiding the
Iranian Transaction Regulations in connection with a $12 million
contract it signed with the National Iranian Gas Company using
businesses located in Canada. The President and CEO of Gastech, Parviz
Khosrowyar, a U.S. citizen of Iranian descent, was previously indicted
on the same charges but failed to appear for trial on March 28, 2005.
An Interpol red notice has been issued worldwide for Khosrowyar’s
arrest. The indictments resulted from an ICE investigation in Oklahoma.
On June 9, 2005, a true bill and superceding five-count indictment was
returned charging Khosrowyar and Gastech with conspiracy, and
violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Khosrowyar was also indicted for his failure to appear at the
aforementioned trial. On January 11, 2006, Gastech Corporation pled
guilty to one count of violating the Iranian Transactions Regulations.
As part of the plea, Gastech agreed to forfeit $50,000.00 in proceeds
and to pay a $33,000.00 civil penalty to the Office of Foreign Assets
Control.
Assault Rifles to Colombian Terrorist Organization
- On April 1, 2005, Guillermo Cardoso-Arias, 55, a Colombian citizen
and resident of South Florida, was sentenced to 46 months in prison
after pleading guilty in federal court in Miami to illegal arms
brokering activities and attempting to illegally export 200
fully-automatic AK-47 assault rifles without the required U.S. export
license. The guilty plea resulted from a joint investigation by ICE,
ATF, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. In law enforcement
monitored conversations, Cardoso-Arias stated that he was buying the
AK-47s for the Autodefenseas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), a designated
foreign terrorist organization in Colombia. He further stated that the
weapons would be used to fight the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de
Colombia (FARC), another designated foreign terrorist organization.
Controlled Technology to Iran – On April 1,
2005,
BEF Corporation in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to five years
probation and ordered to pay civil and criminal penalties for illegally
exporting goods to Iran and for making false statements to the
government. An investigation by ICE and Department of Commerce agents
revealed that BEF knowingly exported miniature photo labs to Iran
without the required export licenses and made false statements on
export documents to help BEF customers around the world avoid import
duties. BEF is a company that buys photo-processing machines,
refurbishes them, and resells the equipment throughout the world.
TOW Missiles to China – On March 25, 2005, ICE
Detention & Removal Operations (DRO) officers in New York arrested
Qamar Zaman Babar, a citizen of the United Kingdom and a native of
Pakistan, on immigration charges. In March 1989, Babar was convicted in
the United States of conspiracy to export TOW II missiles to China and
later served his sentence. In 2001, Babar was encountered re-entering
the United States and was served with a notice to appear in court under
the Espionage provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. After
being ordered deported by an Immigration Judge in 2003, Babar appealed.
On March 3, 2005, the Bureau of Immigration Appeals affirmed the
Immigration Judge’s decision and ordered him removed from the country.
ICE DRO officers arrested him for deportation.
Military Night Vision Equipment to China – On
March 4, 2005, a criminal information was filed against Howard Hsy in
Seattle, Washington, for violation of the Arms Export Control Act. ICE
agents launched an investigation into Hsy in August 2003 for the
illegal export of plastic optical filters suitable for night vision
lighting, night vision goggles with helmet mounts for fixed-wing and
rotary aircraft, as well as liquid crystal displays that can be
integrated into avionics. In August 2003, Hsy was arrested for
espionage in Taiwan, where he remains in custody. On October 12, 2005,
a U.S. citizen who conspired with HSY to obtain night vision goggles
for illegal export pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Export
Administration Act. HSY returned to the United States on November 16,
2005 and was placed under arrest by ICE and FBI agents. On December 6,
2005, Hsy pled guilty to one count of 18 USC 371, Conspiracy, for his
involvement in the scheme to illegally export the controlled items.
Hsy’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled on a later date.
Geiger Counters, Ammunition, and Other Goods to Syria
– On March 1, 2005, a federal grand jury in Detroit returned a
three-count indictment charging Matt Mihsen, of Dallas, Texas, with
attempting to illegally export U.S. currency and numerous goods to
Syria, as well as making false statements to federal agents. On
February 15, 2005, ICE agents arrested Mihsen, a licensed private
investigator, as he attempted to board a flight from Detroit to
Damascus, Syria, with $13,000 in U.S. currency and a wide range of
goods in his checked luggage, including Geiger counters, 9mm
ammunition, bullet proof vests, stun guns, rifle scopes, and pepper
spray. Mihsen claimed he was going to the Middle East to hunt down
Osama bin Laden in order to collect U.S. reward money. On September 2,
2005, Mihsen pled guilty to 18 USC 922(e), Failure to declare
Ammunition to an Air Carrier. On October 21, 2005, Mihsen was sentenced
to time served and one year of supervised release.
Sensitive U.S. Technology to Iran – On March 1,
2005, a federal grand jury in Chicago returned a two-count indictment
charging Juan Sevilla, the sales director of United Calibration Corp,
of Huntington Beach, California, with attempting to illegally export
sensitive U.S. technology to Iran in violation of the U.S. embargo on
Iran. According to the indictment, Sevilla attempted to export a
machine that measures the tensile strength of steel and related
software technologies from California, through Chicago, to Iran, in
violation of the embargo. Neither Sevilla nor United Calibration Corp
had government authorization to export the product to Iran. The
indictment resulted from an ICE investigation in Chicago with
assistance from U.S. Department of Commerce agents. On September 14,
2005, Sevilla pleaded guilty to two counts of violating 50 USC
Sections(s) 1702: International Emergency Economic Powers Act; and
1705(b): Iranian Transaction Regulations. Sevilla’s sentencing hearing
will be held in April, 2006.
Experimental Aircraft and Sensitive Electronics to Iran
by Convicted Nuclear Trafficker
– On February 25, 2005, a federal indictment charging Ali Asghar
Manzarpour, 43, of Brighton, United Kingdom, with five counts of
violating the U.S. embargo on Iran was unsealed in U.S. District Court
in Washington, D.C. The indictment alleged that Manzarpour attempted to
illegally export a Berkut 360 experimental, single-engine aircraft from
the U.S. to Iran via the U.K. The aircraft was intercepted in the U.K.
Manzarpour also allegedly exported electrical components from the U.S.
to Iran via Austria on four occasions between 2000 and 2004. Manzarpour
was arrested in Warsaw, Poland, on February 17, 2005, by Polish
authorities acting on a U.S. arrest warrant issued after a joint
investigation by ICE agents in Chicago, the ICE Attaché in
Austria, and
Department of Commerce agents. Manzarpour had previously served nine
months in British prisons after being convicted in May 1998 for
attempting to export U.S.-origin maraging steel from Britain to Iran
for nuclear purposes. At the time, British authorities noted that the
high-strength steel, which is used to build centrifuges for enriching
uranium, was destined for Iran’s nuclear weapons program. British
authorities said Manzarpour had been working with the Iranian
government for at least a decade. Manzarpour remains in the custody of
Polish authorities at this time and additional enforcement actions are
anticipated in the near future.
Weapons to Colombian Terrorist Group – On
February
11, 2005, Carlos Gamarra-Murillo, 54, of Bucaramanga, Colombia, pleaded
guilty in Tampa, Florida, to charges of providing material support to a
foreign terrorist organization and violating the Arms Export Control
Act. The plea was the result of an ICE investigation that showed
Gamarra-Murillo plotted to provide nearly $4 million worth of arms to
Colombia’s Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).
Gamarra-Murillo sought to illegally export roughly 4,000 grenades,
1,800 assault rifles, as well as 60 grenade launchers and 60 machine
guns to Colombia via Venezuela. Gamarra-Murrillo allegedly offered to
pay undercover ICE agents posing as weapons suppliers 60 percent of the
payment in cocaine (2,000 kilograms) and the remainder in U.S. currency
upon delivering the weapons shipment to a clandestine airstrip in
Venezuela. Gamarra-Murrillo was arrested in April 2004 in Tampa after
providing ICE agents with a down payment for the weapons. On August 8,
2005, Gamarra-Murrillo was sentenced to 25 years federal imprisonment.
Sensitive Night Vision Technology to Iran – On
July 19, 2005, Erik Kyriacou was sentenced to 5 years probation, 4
months house arrest and ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution pursuant
to an ICE investigation. On February 7, 2005, Kyriacou, a former NBC
cameraman and resident of Long Island, NY, pled guilty in Philadelphia
to a four-count indictment charging him with attempting to illegally
export sensitive Astroscope night vision lenses to Iran. The lenses had
been stolen from NBC News in New York. According to court documents,
Kyriacou was attempting to sell the lenses on the Internet via e-bay to
undercover ICE agents posing as international arms brokers. Undercover
agents informed Kyriacou that the lenses would be going to Iran in
violation of the Iranian embargo and other export laws. Kyriacou agreed
to the sale and illegally exported the devices to undercover ICE agents
believing that they were destined for Iran. On April 12, 2004, ICE
agents arrested Kyriacou in Newark, NJ.
Controlled Items to Iranian Ballistic Missile Facility
- – On February 2, 2005, the U.S. Attorney for the District of
Connecticut announced a four-count superseding indictment charging
Mohammed Farahbakhsh, Hamid Fathololoomy, as well as their U.A.E.-based
companies Diamond Technology, and Akeed Trading Company, with
conspiring to illegally export goods to Iran via the U.A.E. The
indictment alleges that the defendants shipped computer goods from a
Texas company to an entity in Iran affiliated with that nation’s
ballistic missile program. In addition, the indictment alleges that
they illegally exported a satellite communication system and other
goods to Iran. Originally, Farahbakhsh was charged with illegally
exporting pressure sensors from a Connecticut company to Iran.
Department of Commerce, ICE, and the Defense Criminal Investigative
Service agents conducted the investigation. Agents arrested
Farahbakhsh, an Iranian national and naturalized U.S. citizen, in Los
Angeles on October 20, 2004. In April 2005, Farahbakhsh pleaded guilty
to criminal charges. On September 22, 2005, Farahbakhsh was sentenced
to time served.
Military Laser Sights to Foreign Locations –
On
April 27, 2005, Sotaro Inami, a Japanese national, was sentenced to 15
months incarceration for conspiracy to export U.S. Munitions List
articles to Japan. On January 28, 2005, Inami pled guilty in federal
court in Philadelphia to one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms
Export Control Act. Inami, and a co-conspirator Takashi Matsubara had
been charged in July 2004 as a result of an undercover ICE and Defense
Criminal Investigative Service investigation. According to the
indictment, the defendants conspired to purchase and illegally export
military laser sights for M-16 and M-5 rifles to locations outside the
United States. Inami was arrested at the Los Angeles airport on
February 17, 2004 after he arrived to attend a weapons show in Las
Vegas. Matsubara remains a fugitive, but there are no plans to seek
extradition. On May 25, 2005, Inami was subsequently deported from the
United States.
Oil Burner Nozzles to Iran – On January 20,
2005,
a New Jersey company called Nozzle Manufacturing Company, or Monarch
Nozzle, pleaded guilty to a one-count information for violating the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act in connection with an
effort to export oil burner nozzles to Germany, knowing that the
devices would subsequently be illegally diverted to Iran. The case was
investigated by agents from ICE and the Department of Commerce and
began after border inspectors seized several burning nozzles being
shipped to Germany in 1999. Subsequent investigation showed that the
German recipient was shipping the nozzles to Iran. Pursuant to the
guilty plea, Nozzle Manufacturing was ordered to pay a $10,000 criminal
fine, and pay civil penalties in the amount of $10,000 to the
Department of Commerce and Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign
Asset Control, respectively.
U.S. Missile Components to the Middle East – On
December 15, 2004, Leib Kohn, 66, and his Brooklyn, NY, companies
L&M Manufacturing Corporation and Nesco NY Incorporated, each
pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act in
U.S. District Court, Connecticut. ICE agents arrested Kohn in New York
on March 19, 2004. According to the indictment, Kohn and his companies
purchased from U.S. vendors sensitive U.S. military items, including
components for HAWK missiles, military radars, and F-4 Phantom fighter
jet aircraft. Kohn then exported these items to QPS, a company in
Israel, while knowingly failing to obtain the required export license.
ICE worked closely with the Israeli National Police, who searched the
QPS facility in March 2004 and found the missile components illegally
exported by Kohn. Israeli National Police arrested Eli Cohen after
searching the QPS facility in Israel. Israeli authorities had
investigated Cohen in the past for allegedly transferring arms to Iran.
ICE and Israeli authorities do not believe the final destination of
Kohn’s shipments was Israel. Kohn is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Fighter Jet Components to Iran – On
December
9, 2004, Sherzhik Avassapian pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami
to one count of making false statements. Avassapian, a Tehran-based
broker who asserted he worked on behalf of the Iranian Ministry of
Defense, had been charged in December 2003, in a three-count
superseding indictment with 1) conspiracy to violate the Arms Export
Control Act; 2) engaging in brokering activities with a prohibited
nation (Iran), and 3) making false statements to a federal law
enforcement officer. On September 18, 2003 ICE agents in Miami arrested
Avassapian after he arrived in Miami on a flight from Europe to meet
with undercover ICE agents and inspect U.S. military items. Documents
outlining the proposed arms deal were found by ICE agents stuffed under
the bed mattress in Avassapian’s Miami hotel room. The charges resulted
from an undercover ICE investigation that revealed that Avassapian
attempted to purchase in Florida and illegally export roughly $750,000
worth of U.S. F-14 fighter jet components to the Iranian military, via
Italy. According to the indictment, Avassapian solicited these military
parts from undercover ICE agents in the United States, and then
discussed the transshipment of these parts through third countries,
including Italy, to conceal Iran as the ultimate destination. Finally,
he inspected the components in the United States and provided a down
payment for their purchase. Avassapian also negotiated with undercover
ICE agents over the illegal export of complete military helicopters and
C-130 military aircraft electrical and avionic upgrades to Iran. On May
16, 2005, AVASSAPIAN was sentenced to 41 months federal imprisonment.
Chemical Weapons Components to Iraq – On
December
6, 2004, Dutch authorities arrested Frans Van Anraat, 62, on charges of
genocide for his role in supplying chemical weapons components to Iraq
that were used by Saddam Hussein to gas thousands of Iraqi Kurds in
1988. The charges stemmed in part from a long-time ICE investigation
into Van Anraat that began in 1984. The ICE investigation found that
Van Anraat had arranged for 4 shipments of thiodiglycol totaling more
than 530 tons from the United States to Iraq in 1987 and 1988.
Thiodiglycol is a precursor chemical for mustard gas. ICE agents
determined that Van Anraat had purchased the chemicals from a Baltimore
company called Alcolac International, Inc. Van Anraat was charged in
Baltimore in 1989 and subsequently arrested in Italy on a U.S. arrest
warrant. Italian authorities later released Van Anraat, who fled to
Iraq where he purportedly remained until 2003. In February 2004, Dutch
authorities began working with ICE and the U.S. Justice Department to
bring charges against Van Anraat in the Netherlands, where Van Anraat
had recently returned. In March 2004, ICE turned over significant
evidence against Van Anraat to Dutch authorities, ultimately helping
them bring charges against him. On December 23, 2005, a trial in the
Netherlands concluded pursuant to Anraat’s role in supplying chemical
weapons to Iraq. Van Anraat was found guilty of one count of
“Conspiracy to Commit War Crimes.” Pursuant to this charge, Van Anraat
was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.
U.S. Military Night Vision Systems to Iranian Military
– On December 3, 2004, ICE agents and Austrian authorities thwarted a
plot to illegally supply the Iranian military with thousands of
advanced military night vision systems from the United States. The
investigation began in 2002, when ICE agents learned that an arms
broker in Tehran was seeking 3,000 helmet-mounted Generation III U.S.
military night vision goggles for the Iranian military from vendors in
the United States. In September 2004, Iranian nationals Mahmoud Seif
and Shahrzad Mir Gholikhan began negotiations to take delivery of a
first night vision shipment in Austria, noting their direct contacts
with the Iranian government. ICE agents began working with Austrian
authorities to ensure that arrests could be made in Austria. Austrian
authorities arrested Seif and Mir Gholikhan after the pair took
possession of the first night vision system at a meeting in Austria. On
September 13, 2005, a Southern District of Florida grand jury handed
down superceding indictments of Mahmoud SEIF, Hamid KARGAR, and
Shahrazad Mir GHOLIKHAN for their involvement in an attempt to procure
Generation III Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) for the Government of Iran.
The indictments contain the following charges for the above named
individuals:
1 Count - 18 USC 371 Conspiracy; 1 Count - 22 USC 2778 Arms Export
Control Act; 1 Count - 18 USC 1956 (4) Money Laundering; 1 Count - 18
USC 1956 (a)(2)(A) Money Laundering; 1 Count - 18 USC 982 (a)(1)
Forfeiture; 1 Count - 18 USC 2 Aiding and Abetting. All three subjects
are currently fugitives.
Missile and Fighter Jet Components to China / Iran
– On November 18, 2004, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. ordered Los
Angeles aircraft parts supplier Interaero Inc. to pay a $500,000 fine
and serve five years of corporate probation for illegally exporting
components for the HAWK missile, the F-4 Phantom fighter jet, and the
F-5 Phantom/Tiger fighter jet to China between June 2000 and March
2001. Interaero pleaded guilty to violating the Arms Export Control Act
in August 2004. The conviction of Interaero was the eleventh in
California and the District of Columbia to result from a 5-year
undercover ICE investigation that targeted aircraft parts suppliers
that sold defense articles over the Internet to foreign buyers without
obtaining the required U.S. export licenses or complying with the arms
embargoes. For example, on August 3, 2004, Amanullah Khan, a U.S.
citizen, pleaded guilty to a four-count criminal indictment in Los
Angeles alleging that Khan and his Anaheim, Calif., company, United
Aircraft & Electronics, illegally exported F-4 and F-5 fighter jets
to China. Khan’s partner in United Aircraft & Electronics, Ziad
Jamil Gammoh, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2004 to the
same charges. On July 29, 2004, Mexpar International, another defendant
in the undercover investigation, was sentenced in Los Angeles to three
years probation and a fine of $75,000 for illegally exporting
components for F-4 fighter jets, Hawk missiles, and AIM-9 Sidewinder
missiles to China. Ahmad Nahardani and Gabriela De Brea, who operated
Mexpar International, pleaded guilty to arms export violations in
September 2003. On Sept. 9, 2004, De Brea was sentenced to one-year
incarceration. Nahardani received a sentence of 21 months federal
imprisonment. On November 7, 2005 Gammoh was sentenced to 78 months in
prison for his part in the conspiracy. On November 28, 2005, Khan was
sentenced to 188 months in prison for his part in the conspiracy.
Military Antennae Controls to Spain – On
November
16, 2004, Carlos Melean was indicted for violating the Arms Export
Control Act in connection with his efforts to illegally export radar
antennae control boxes for Orion P-3 surveillance aircraft to Spain
without the required export license from the State Department. ICE
agents arrested Melean on October 18, 2004 in Miami. According to the
complaint, Melean and his company Aviation Spares Inc., Miami, FL, were
attempting to export the antennae control boxes to Spain for use by the
Spanish Air Force. In March 2005, Melean pled guilty to making a false
statement in violation of 18 USC 1001. On June 17, 2005, Melean was
sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.
Military Helicopter Engines and Night Vision Systems to
China
– On August 30, 2005, Kwonhwan Park was sentenced to 32 months federal
imprisonment to be followed by deportation from the United States for
his role in a scheme to illegally export U.S. technology to China. On
November 10, 2004, Kwonhwan Park, a South Korean citizen, pleaded
guilty in New Haven, CT, to violating the Arms Export Control Act for
illegally exporting Black Hawk helicopter engines and other military
items to China. ICE agents arrested Park in Virginia on April 1, 2004
as he attempted to board a plane bound for China with military night
vision equipment in his luggage. ICE agents in New Haven had been
investigating Park for two years after his Malaysian company bought two
military helicopter engines from a U.S. firm and illegally exported
them to China. He then attempted to buy four more such engines from a
U.S. manufacturer, which notified ICE agents. ICE agents tracked Park
as he entered the United States in March 2004 and arrested him as he
attempted to depart with night vision technology. The government of
South Korea worked closely with ICE on the investigation, prosecuting
Yung Jean Sohn, a former South Korean military official, on charges of
forging an end-user certificate falsely indicating that military
helicopter engines purchased by Park were bound for legitimate parties
overseas.
U.S. Fighter Jet Components to Iran – On
November
6, 2004, Hamid M. Butt, 71, a naturalized U.S. citizen and a Pakistani
native who was indicted on October 15, 2004, for violations of the Arms
Export Control Act, died of natural causes. ICE agents had arrested
Butt on June 22, 2004, after he arrived in Houston on a flight from
Malaysia. Butt had been charged in a sealed complaint in Newark with
violating the Arms Export Control Act for attempting to export F-14
fighter jet parts to Iran in 1999. Butt was the sole owner and operator
of Humble Parts Distribution, an aircraft parts supply firm in Humble,
Texas. The complaint alleges that in October 1999, Butt received an
order for F-14 parts from Office de Distribution et Maintenance (ODM),
an international spare parts trading company located in France. Butt
then attempted to illegally ship electronic parts specifically made for
the F-14 from Houston to Frankfurt, Germany, via Newark, New Jersey,
without the required export license from the State Department. U.S.
border inspectors found and seized the shipment before it could leave
Newark. ICE agents conducted a subsequent investigation that led to
federal charges against Butt, which were unsealed upon his arrest.
Missile Components to China – On October 6,
2004,
Ting-Ih Hsu, a naturalized U.S. citizen and president of Azure Systems,
Inc, and Hai Lin Nee, a Chinese citizen and an employee of Azure
systems, were sentenced to three years probation for false statements
in connection with illegally exporting to China 25 low-noise amplifier
chips that have applications in U.S. Hellfire missile systems. ICE
agents arrested the pair in Orlando, Florida, on March 12, 2004, on
charges of violating the Export Administration Act, conspiracy, and
false statements. According to the indictment, the defendants falsely
labeled the amplifier chips in export documents as “transistors” worth
some $20. Hsu was a former employee of defense contractor Lockheed
Martin. Nee formerly worked at a U.S. research institute that designed
software for military and warfare simulations. On July 16, 2004, both
subjects pleaded guilty to making false statements.
Restricted Electronic Equipment to China – –
On
September 30, 2004, ICE agents in conjunction with agents from the FBI
and the Department of Commerce arrested four individuals in Milwaukee
and Manitowac, Wisconsin on charges of conspiring to illegally export
more than $500,000 in restricted electronic components to China. The
components in question could be used in a wide variety of military
radar and communications applications. Those arrested were Ning Wen,
Hailin Lin, Jian Guo Qu, and Ruo Ling Wang. The defendants were charged
with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers
Act, the Export Administration Regulations and money laundering
violations. On May 3, 2005, Jian Guo Qu and Ruo Ling Wang pled guilty
to conspiracy and violation of Title 50 U.S.C. 1705(b). Wang was
sentenced to 6 months time served and fined $1,500. Qu was sentenced to
46 months federal imprisonment and fined $2,000. On July 8, 2005,
Hailin Lin pled guilty to conspiracy and money laundering, and is
awaiting sentencing. On September 21, 2005, in U.S. District Court in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ning WEN was convicted at trial for five counts
of violating 50 USC 1705 (b) (International Emergency Economic Powers
Act - IEEPA), 18 USC 371 (Conspiracy), 18 USC 1956(a)(2)(A) (Money
Laundering), 18 USC 1956(h) (Money Laundering) and 18 USC 1001 (False
Statements) in relation to his direct involvement in a scheme to
illegally export dual-use semi-conductors and other electronic
components from the U.S. to China without proper export licenses. On
December 21, 2005, Hailin Lin was sentenced to 42 months incarceration
and was ordered to pay a $50,000.00 fine. On January 18, 2006, Ning WEN
was sentenced to 60 months incarceration and was ordered to pay a
$50,000.00 fine.
Military Assault Weapons to Philippines – On
September 20, 2004, Victor “the Devil” Infante, the accused leader of
an international firearms and methamphetamine distribution organization
pleaded guilty to drug charges. ICE agents arrested Infante after a
9-month investigation that involved law enforcement agencies in the
Philippines, New York, New Jersey, California, and Louisiana. Infante
was charged with the attempted export of assault weapons, including
MAC-11 submachine guns, MP-5s, HK-94s, Colt AR-15s, and Uzi Model Bs,
to the Philippines. He was also charged with importing thousands of
dollars of “meth” to New York and New Jersey. Infante was arrested by
authorities in the Philippines and turned over to ICE/FBI custody.
Philippine authorities contend that Infante supplied arms to the Abu
Sayyaf terrorist organization. Infante is scheduled for a sentencing
hearing in May 2006.
Weapons to Colombian Terrorist Groups – On
August
19, 2004, a federal grand jury in Miami, Florida charged seven
individuals with conspiracy to illegally export arms, ammunition, and
other military supplies to organized paramilitary groups in Colombia,
including the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and
the Auto Defensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), both of which are U.S.
designated terrorist groups. The charges resulted from a joint
investigation by ICE and ATF. The investigation, which began after
agents responded to a flooded warehouse in Miami that contained weapons
destined for South America, ultimately resulted in the seizure of more
than 200 weapons and more than 700,000 rounds of ammunition. Six
members involved in this conspiracy have been arrested and convicted
pursuant to plea agreements in U.S. District Court. One member is
currently a fugitive, and the remaining defendants are awaiting
sentencing.
Sensitive Military Technology to China – On
July
29, 2004, seven individuals were indicted on export violations alleging
that they used their two companies, Universal Technologies, Inc.,
(Unitek) and Manten Electronics, Inc., to illegally export sensitive
national-security controlled items to state-sponsored institutes in
China. Agents from ICE, the FBI, and the Department of Commerce
arrested the individuals on July 1, 2004. According to the complaints,
the individuals were illegally exporting millions of dollars worth of
items used in a variety of defense weapons systems, including smart
weapons, radar, electronic warfare and communications systems. On
September 13, 2005, four of the co-conspirators pleaded guilty to an
information filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New
Jersey. The information charged the individuals with violating 22
U.S.C. 2778: the Arms Export Control Act (AECA); 50 U.S.C. 1705 (b):
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); 18 U.S.C. 371:
Conspiracy to violate the Export Administration Regulations (EAR): 18
U.S.C. 2: Aiding and Abetting and 18 U.S.C. 1001: Providing False
Statements. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for April 17, 2006.
U.S. Fighter Jet to Colombia in Plot to Assassinate Drug
Baron
– On June 29, 2004, veteran British mercenary and longtime fugitive
David Tomkins, 64, pleaded guilty in Miami to federal charges of
violating the Arms Export Control Act. ICE agents had arrested Tomkins
on August 31, 2003 upon his arrival in Houston on a flight from London.
Tomkins had been charged in Miami in 1994 in connection with a scheme
to buy an A-37 fighter jet from undercover ICE agents in 1991. At the
time, Tomkins intended to use the fighter jet to bomb a Colombian
prison that housed Pablo Escobar, the previous chief of Colombia’s
Medellin drug cartel. Tomkins was being paid millions to assassinate
Escobar by the rival Cali drug cartel in Colombia. Tomkins fled the
United States prior to his 1994 indictment, after being tipped off to
the ICE investigation by unknown parties. He remained a fugitive until
his arrest in 2003. On October 8, 2004, Tomkins was subsequently
sentenced to 33 months Federal imprisonment.
Military Night Vision Technology to China – On
June 3, 2004, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
announced that two individuals (Philip Cheng and Martin Shih) and a San
Jose company (Night Vision Technology) were indicted by a federal grand
jury for illegally brokering the sale of military and commercial-grade
night vision technology to China. Court documents in the case alleged
that the pair had entered into a contract with the Chinese military to
produce technology for night vision equipment in China. The defendants
were also charged with money laundering and other export violations.
The charges resulted from an extensive investigation by agents from
ICE, the FBI, the IRS, and the Department of Commerce. On March 15,
2006, a jury in the Northern District of California failed to reach a
unanimous verdict in the trial against Philip Cheng. A new trial is
scheduled for August 2006.
Military Helicopter Components to Iran / Foreign
Purchasers
– On May 10, 2004, Rotair Industries, Inc., a military helicopter parts
manufacturer in Bridgeport, Connecticut pleaded guilty to two counts of
illegally exporting U.S. defense articles. The company also agreed to
pay a criminal fine of $500,000 and institute an export compliance
program to ensure that no future exports were made without the
necessary approvals from the U.S. government. In addition, Wesley
Harrington, a Rotair officer and the son of the company owner, Herbert
Harrington, pleaded guilty to attempting to impede ICE agents during a
search of Rotair’s offices by attempting to dismantle his computer. ICE
agents launched their probe of Rotair after items made by the firm were
found to have ended up in Iran, a nation that is embargoed under U.S.
law. As a result of the discovery, two separate undercover
investigations by ICE agents in Milwaukee and New Haven were launched
to confirm whether Rotair was willfully exporting U.S. munitions with
obtaining the required approvals from the U.S. government. Both
undercover ICE investigations confirmed that Rotair was illegally
exporting military helicopter parts without the required export
licenses and approvals, even though the company had been specifically
warned against such exports by the U.S. State Department. In both
cases, Rotair negotiated with and sold restricted military items to
undercover ICE companies posing as international arms purchasers.
Missile Components to China – On March 5,
2004,
Zhan Gao, a well-known U.S. human rights activist and scholar who had
been jailed by Chinese authorities in 2001 for allegedly spying for
Taiwan, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia for illegally
exporting sensitive U.S. technology with potential military
applications to China. The technology exported by Gao could be used in
missile guidance and airborne battle management systems. Gao and her
husband, Donghua Xue, pleaded guilty in November 2003 to illegal arms
export and tax fraud violations. Gao and Xue agreed to forfeit roughly
$590,000 that they had received from China as payment for the exports.
The guilty pleas resulted from an extensive ICE investigation that
began in the Fall of 2000. Gao ultimately received a sentence of 15
months, including 7 months imprisonment followed by 8 months community
confinement.
U.S. Fighter Jet and Military Helicopter Components to
Iran / Taiwan
– On February 19, 2004, Camnetics Manufacturing Corporation in Utah
pleaded guilty to making false statements. In May 2004, Camnetics Vice
President, William Manning, pleaded guilty to obstruction charges.
Camnetics was fined $25,000 and William Manning was sentenced to three
years probation and fined $5,000. Each had been charged in December
2002 in the Eastern District of Wisconsin with three counts of
violating the Arms Export Control Act in connection with an ICE
undercover investigation which revealed that Camnetics illegally
exported components for F-4 fighter jets and S-65 Sikorsky military
assault helicopters to undercover ICE agents. Undercover negotiations
indicated that the military components were destined for Iran. The
guilty pleas were the latest developments in a now-closed undercover
ICE operation out of Milwaukee called “Operation Fool’s Gold.” The
investigation targeted U.S. companies and individuals that were
illegally exporting weapons components to foreign locations, primarily
Iran. In 1999, ICE agents created an undercover arms procurement
business that purportedly operated in Austria, but in actuality
operated out of the United States. The undercover business mimicked the
practices of a notorious Iranian arms broker who remains an ICE
fugitive. On December 10, 2002, the undercover investigation resulted
in federal charges against Camnetics Manufacturing Corporation in Utah
and its vice president, William Manning; Equipment and Supply
International of North Carolina and its chief Andrew Adams; as well as
Rick’s Manufacturing and Supply Company of Oklahoma, and Jami S.
Choudhury. Each was charged in the Eastern District of Wisconsin with
violating the Arms Export Control Act for illegally exporting
components for F-4 fighter jets, S-65 Sikorsky military assault
helicopters, and other aircraft to undercover ICE agents. In all cases
except Choudhury’s, the undercover negotiations indicated that the
military components were destined for Iran. Equipment and Supply
International was sentenced to 2 years probation and fined $50,000.
Andrew Adams, president of Equipment and Supply International, was
sentenced to 3 years probation and fined $25,000. Rick’s Manufacturing
and Supply International was fined $50,000. Jami S. Choudhury was
sentenced to 37 months incarceration, 36 months probation and was fined
$2,000.
Missile Technology to China – On Nov. 18,
2003,
ICE agents in Haverhill, Mass., arrested William Kovacs, the president
of Elatec Technology Corporation (ETC). On Nov. 13, 2003, Kovacs and
his company ETC were indicted by a grand jury in Washington D.C. for
conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and violations of the Export
Administration Act. An ICE investigation had determined that ETC had
exported a sophisticated industrial furnace with potential missile
applications to a firm in China known as Chinese Great Wall. ETC had
exported the furnace to China even after its export license for this
shipment was denied by the Commerce Department. On May 28, 2004, Kovacs
pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, 18 USC 371. The sentencing
hearing will be scheduled on a later date.
Military Patrol Vessels to Iraq – On October
15,
2003, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. charged Sabri Yakou, 69,
and his son Regard Yakou, 43, with violations of the Arms Export
Control Act for allegedly brokering the sale of 6 armored patrol boats,
worth a total of $11 million, to the former Saddam Hussein regime in
Iraq. The arrests and charges were the result of an ICE investigation.
The case was the first to result from the deployment of ICE teams to
Iraq in March 2003 to investigate whether U.S. people or entities had
violated U.S. laws or U.N. sanctions by supplying the Hussein regime in
Iraq with munitions and other materials. As of January 2006,
negotiations continue with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and defense
counsel as to a potential plea agreement.
Equipment with Nuclear Applications to Pakistani Military
– On Sept. 23, 2003, Omega Engineering of Stamford, Connecticut, was
sentenced to pay $313,000 in criminal fines and an $187,000 civil
penalty. On Sept. 22, the Chief Financial Officer of Omega was
sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and 5 years home confinement. The
sentences resulted from an ICE investigation, which found that Omega
and its CFO had willfully disregarded the denial of a U.S. export
license, and illegally exported laboratory equipment with nuclear and
non-nuclear applications to the Pakistani Ministry of Defense, National
Development Center.
Shoulder-Fired Missiles Intended for Use Against U.S.
Commercial Aircraft
- On August 12, 2003, agents from ICE and the FBI arrested accused
British arms dealer Hemant LAKHANI on charges of attempting to sell a
shoulder-fired missile to individuals in the U.S. with the
understanding that it would be used to shoot down an American
commercial jetliner. The criminal complaint alleged that LAKHANI sought
to arrange the sale of at least another 50 shoulder-fired missiles to
an individual posing as a member of terrorist organization in the
United States. Two other individuals were charged in connection with
the monetary aspects of the case. On April 27, 2005, LAKHANI was
convicted on five counts related to the Arms Export Control (22 U.S.C.
2778), Material Support to a Terrorist Organization (18 U.S.C. 2339),
Money Laundering (18 U.S.C. 1956) and Importation of Goods by False
Statement (18 U.S.C. 542 and 2). On September 12, 2005, LAKHANI was
sentenced to 47 years of federal imprisonment for the April 27, 2005
conviction related to the attempted importation of shoulder-fried
missiles.
U.S. Missile and Fighter Jet Components to Iranian Arms
Network (Multicore I & II)
– On July 10, 2003, ICE agents executed federal search warrants on 18
U.S. companies in 10 states suspected of violating the Arms Export
Control Act. The ICE investigation indicated that these U.S. companies
had illegally exported thousands of missile and fighter jet components
to Multicore, Ltd. (aka AKS Industries), an Iranian front company in
London that procures weapons systems worldwide directly for the Iranian
military. Among the items allegedly exported by these U.S. companies to
Multicore in London were components for U.S. HAWK missiles, F-14
fighter jets, F-5 fighter jets, F-4 fighter jets, C-130 military
aircraft, military radars, and other equipment. The July 2003 search
warrants were the latest phase in an ICE investigation into Multicore
that began in February 1999. At that time, agents received information
about a company in Bakersfield, California, called Multicore, Ltd (a
subsidiary of Multicore London), that was involved in the purchase of
F-14 fighter jet parts from U.S. companies. In December 2000, ICE
agents searched Multicore’s storage facility in Bakersfield and seized
thousands of aircraft and missile components that were bound for Iran
via Singapore. Agents documented more than 270 shipments of military
components delivered to Multicore in Bakersfield from various U.S.
companies for export. During the December 2000 raid, ICE agents also
arrested Multicore officers Saeed Homayouni, a naturalized Canadian
from Iran, and Yew Ling Fung, a Malaysian citizen, on arms export
violations. In June 2001, Homayouni pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
violate the Arms Export Control Act. Fung pleaded guilty to misprision
of a felony. Both were sentenced in the Southern District of California
in September 2001. Based upon information uncovered by ICE agents in
the December 2000 raid on Multicore Bakersfield, British authorities
soon launched an investigation into Multicore London. In early May
2002, Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise Service (U.K) executed search
warrants on Multicore’s London office, one residence, and two storage
facilities. They also arrested Soroosh Homayouni (the brother of Saeed
Homayouni) and Mahboubeh Eshraghi in London. Both Iranian citizens,
these individuals were charged by British authorities with violating UK
export regulations. The searches in London yielded thousands of missile
and fighter jet components, as well as documents from the government of
Iran requesting that Multicore in London purchase military components
around the globe. In August 2002, ICE agents met with British
authorities to review the evidence seized at Multicore’s London
offices. The evidence indicated that more than 50 U.S. companies had
shipped military items directly to Multicore in London after the
December 2000 raids on Multicore’s facility in Bakersfield. Armed with
this evidence, ICE agents launched an investigation into those U.S.
companies that had supplied Multicore in London. This investigation
ultimately resulted in the searches of the 18 U.S. companies. The
investigation and prosecution of these cases continues.
Components for Howitzers, Military Radars to Pakistan
– On June 12, 2003, Yasmin Ahmed and Tariq Ahmed pleaded guilty in the
District of Connecticut to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export
Control Act. The ICE investigation determined that the couple had
purchased in the U.S. and attempted to illegally export to Pakistan
parts for Howitzer canons, military radars, and armored personnel
carriers. As part of this investigation, Allen Haller and his
Florida-based company, Mart Haller, Inc., pleaded guilty in Connecticut
on June 9 to conspiracy to illegally export military components to a
Pakistani company in the United Arab Emirates. Yasmin Ahmed was
sentenced to time served and Tariq Ahmed was sentenced to 24 months
incarceration.
“Drone” Components to Pakistan – On May 29,
2003,
ICE agents in Chicago arrested Mariam Aidroos, a Pakistani national, on
charges of false statements in connection with the attempted export of
components for unmanned aerial vehicles or “drones” to Pakistan. ICE
agents determined that the woman was attempting to export these goods
to an individual affiliated with the Pakistani military. In May 2004,
Aidroos was sentenced to three years of probation pursuant to the
charges of making false statements.
Military Aircraft and Engines to Libya - On
March
26, 2003, Klaus Ernst Buhler, a German commercial pilot, pled guilty to
a 2-count indictment out of Tampa, Florida, charging him with
conspiracy to illegally export engines for C-130 military aircraft and
CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Libya. During the investigation, the pilot
also negotiated with undercover ICE agents to buy four complete
aircraft, two of which he said were for intended for Moammar Qadaffi’s
use. ICE agents arrested the pilot on Jan. 10, 2002. In June 2003,
Buhler was sentenced to 30 months federal imprisonment and three years
supervised release.
Military Radar Components to Iran - On March 20,
2003, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced a
superseding indictment against Eric Chang, a naturalized U.S. citizen
and resident of Taiwan, and David Chu, a resident of Taiwan, on charges
of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and money
laundering. The charges resulted from an undercover ICE probe, which
began after Chang and Chu allegedly contacted a Maryland company in
January 2002 about purchasing satellite space images of Tehran. ICE
agents launched a probe using an undercover business in Maryland. The
defendants allegedly then attempted to purchase from undercover ICE
agents military radar detection electronics (spiral-backed antennas for
U.S. fighter jets) for export to Iran, via Guam and Taiwan. ICE agents
arrested Chu in Feb. 2003 after an undercover meeting in Guam as he
attempted to board a flight for Taiwan with the military antennas.
Chang remains a fugitive. The defendants also discussed with ICE agents
the purchase of early warning radar equipment, state-of-the-art night
vision equipment and other military use technology for Iran. On
November 14, 2003, Chang pled guilty and was sentenced in federal
court. However, Chang failed to report and is currently a fugitive.
Satellite Technology to China - On March 4,
2003,
Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc. entered
into a civil settlement with the State Department in which the
companies agreed to pay a $32 million fine, $8 million of which would
go to ICE. The agreement settled charges that the firms had illegally
shared sensitive satellite technology/know-how with China.
Military Communications Equipment to Pakistan -
On
Feb. 27, 2003, Raytheon agreed to pay $25 million to settle claims that
it had attempted to illegally export troposcatter communications
equipment to the Pakistani military. Raytheon agreed to pay $20 million
to the ICE, $3 million to the State Department, and to invest $2
million to upgrade its internal export compliance program.
Military Encryption Devices to China - On Oct.
18,
2002, the U.S. Attorney in Baltimore announced that two individuals had
been sentenced to jail terms for conspiring to export sensitive
military encryption devices to China via Singapore. The sale of these
sensitive items requires approval by the National Security Agency. In
August 2001, ICE agents arrested both individuals.
Military Aircraft Components to Iran - On July
18,
2002, an individual was sentenced in the Eastern District of New York
to a jail term in connection with a scheme to export parts for 20-mm
aircraft canons and other military parts to Iran via a front company in
Switzerland. ICE agents arrested the individual in 2001.
Nuclear Trigger Devices to Israel - On April 29,
2002, an individual was sentenced to jail in the Central District of
California in connection with a 1980-82 scheme to export to Israel
roughly 800 krytrons, which are high-speed timing devices that can be
used to detonate a nuclear warhead. Authorities in Spain arrested the
individual in July 2001 after 16 years on the run. He had been indicted
in the U.S. in 1985.