Three Chinese researchers were charged on Nov. 5 with conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. and for making false statements to CBP officers, DOJ announced. The individuals, Xu Bai, Fengfan Zhang and Zhiyong Zhang, were all research scholars with J-1 visas conducting research at the University of Michigan laboratory of researcher Xianzhong Xu, DOJ said.
A federal jury this week convicted New York resident Ji Wang on charges of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets after the U.S. said he stole information about optical fibers for high-powered lasers and planned to use that information to start a business in China.
The U.S. this week charged a Belorussian citizen with illegally exporting U.S. avionics and aircraft equipment to Russia, including for use by a company on the Entity List.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas set sentencing for Jan. 8 in a case against a customs broker for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Cardone referred the case for sentencing in an Oct. 24 order after accepting the guilty plea from the individual, Carlos Leopoldo Alvelais (USA v. Carlos Leopoldo Alvelais, W.D. Tex. # 3:25-02512).
An Australian national pleaded guilty Oct. 29 to two counts of theft of trade secrets, DOJ announced. Peter Williams admitted to selling his employer's trade secrets to a Russian "cyber-tools broker," the agency said.
New Mexico resident Canyon Anthony Amarys, a U.S. national guardsman, was arrested last week after DOJ said he tried to provide an export-controlled radio to someone he believed was a Russian intelligence official. He was charged with attempting to violate the Export Control Reform Act.
Two Alabama men have been charged with trafficking over 300 weapons and ammunition into Mexico, DOJ announced. Emilio Ramirez Cortes, a Mexican citizen legally residing in the U.S., and his son Edgar Emilio Ramirez Diaz, are both charged with "smuggling firearms, ammunition, magazines and other firearms accessories as well as trafficking of firearms," DOJ said.
A Pakistani national was sentenced to 40 years in prison on charges relating to the transportation of Iranian-origin advanced conventional weaponry, DOJ announced Oct. 23. Muhammad Pahlawan was convicted in June of conspiracy to provide material support to terror groups, providing material support to Iran's weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' weapons of mass destruction program and conspiring to ship explosive devices to the Houthi rebel group, DOJ said.
A Los Angeles-based wholesale clothing importer and two of its executives were sentenced on Sept. 29 for avoiding payment of over $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced.
Two Colorado companies and their top executives were indicted last month for conspiring to evade tariff payments on their imports of forklifts, DOJ announced on Sept. 30. The companies, Endless Sales and Octane Forklifts; current executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel; and former executive J.R. Antczak allegedly conspired to undervalue the forklifts from China at entry, then hide their Chinese origin and sell them to federal government agencies by declaring them to be made in the U.S.