DOJ unsealed a 15-count indictment Nov. 29 charging Madison County, Alabama, resident Ray Hunt with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran, defrauding the U.S., smuggling goods from the U.S., and submitting false export information, the department announced. Hunt faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, up to five years for the count of conspiracy, 10 for the smuggling charge and another five for the false information charge.

DOJ reached a settlement with a Washington state-based firearms manufacturer, Aero Precision, over claims that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by "screening out" non-U.S. citizen job candidates, including asylees and refugees, DOJ announced. The INA says that asylees and refugees have the same eligibility to work jobs involving defense-related information as U.S. citizens, including for items controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Carmen Gallegos, a New Mexico woman, was sentenced last week to 50 months in prison for participating in a scheme to buy firearms in Texas and New Mexico and export them to Mexico, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas announced. Gallegos participated in a conspiracy to buy at least 23 firearms over two months, then smuggle them into Mexico. She listed a Texas address on three different Firearm Transaction Records when her actual place of residence was in New Mexico, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. She pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to smuggle goods from the U.S.

The Bureau of Industry and Security this week renewed the temporary denial order for Russia's Rossiya Airlines. BIS first suspended the export privileges of the airline in May (see 2205200008), barring it from participating in transactions with items subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The agency renewed the denial order for another 180 days on Nov. 15 after finding Rossiya continues to illegally operate aircraft subject to the EAR, including for flights between Russia and Turkey.

Yanjun Xu, a Chinese national and the first Chinese government intelligence official to be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial, was sentenced Nov. 16 to 20 years in prison, DOJ announced. Xu stole trade secrets from American aviation companies by recruiting employees to travel to China and then stealing their proprietary information on behalf of the Chinese government, the U.S. said. A federal jury in November 2021 convicted Xu on all counts: conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, attempted economic espionage and attempted trade secret theft (see 2111080021).

Three U.S. citizens and Quadrant Magnetics were charged with wire fraud, violating the Arms Export Control Act and smuggling goods relating to their participation in an illegal scheme to ship export-controlled defense-related technical data to China, DOJ announced. They also allegedly supplied DOD with Chinese-origin rare earth magnets for aviation systems and military items, DOJ said.

The Commerce Department again renewed a temporary export denial order for Mahan Airways because the airline continues to violate the order and the Export Administration Regulations, according to a notice issued this week. Mahan Airways has been on the banned list since 2008, and Commerce said the Iranian airline has continued to fly into Moscow in violation of U.S. export controls against Russia. The latest renewal is for 180 days from Nov. 8.

The Bureau of Industry and Security this week revoked the export privileges for Jose Martin Gallegos-Luevanos for his role in illegal exports of firearms to Mexico. Gallegos-Luevanos, currently in a federal prison in Louisiana, was convicted Jan. 6, 2020, for “fraudulently and knowingly” trying to export from the U.S. to Mexico one Barrett .50 caliber bolt rifle, three FA Cugir Romanian AK-47 rifles, seven Century Arms VSKA AK-47 rifles, one Century Arms WASR AK-47 rifle and 85 assorted magazines. Gallegos-Luevanos was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $100 assessment. BIS denied Gallegos-Luevanos’ export privileges for 10 years from the date of conviction.

Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, Bolivia's former minister of government, pleaded guilty Oct. 20 to conspiracy to launder bribes received in exchange for helping a U.S. company secure a $5.6 million contract from the Bolivian government, DOJ announced. Murillo faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The Bureau of Industry and Security this week revoked the export privileges for Texas resident Claudia Delgadillo for her role in illegally concealing, buying and facilitating the “transportation and concealment” of rifles and handguns from the U.S. to Mexico. BIS said Delgadillo was convicted Oct. 9, 2019, and was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $100 assessment. BIS denied Delgadillo's export privileges for 10 years from the date of conviction.