North Carolina man pleads guilty to trying to sell military technology to China
Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man pleaded guilty to attempting to export technology with military applications to China without a license, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday.
David C. Bohmerwald, 63, the owner of a Raleigh-based electronics resale business called Components Cooper Inc., entered his guilty plea of the offense, which is a violation of the Export Control Reform Act, DOJ said in a news release.
He faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Bohmerwald purchased 100 accelerometers from a U.S.-based electronics company and then tried to export the devices to a company in China, according to court documents and evidence presented in court.
Bohmerwald later told agents he was acquiring the technology on behalf of a Chinese-based company, knowing that the technology was export-controlled and required a license.
Accelerometer applications range from research and development of products to defense uses.
For military purposes, they are vital to structural testing, monitoring, flight control and navigation systems.
Missiles use them to fly better and measure the precise effect munitions' effect on structures.
He dropped two parcels at a local FedEx shipping store with one addressed to a business in China.
Bohmerwald falsely listed the value of the package at $100 with the true value nearly $20,000.
An agent with the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security found it contained 100 accelerometers. The agent confirmed that there were no relevant licenses on file to support the export of the items.
The U.S.-based electronics company notified law enforcement about Bohmerwald's actions.
When Bohmerwald purchased the accelerometers, he claimed that they were for a user in Missouri. But when federal agents contacted the Missouri company, they denied having an order pending with Bohmerwald and his business, Components Cooper.
The Export Control Reform Act of 2018 gives the U.S. president the power to control exports to protect national security and foreign policy. Technologies include artificial intelligence, augmented reality, biotechnology, gene editing, nanotechnology and gene editing.
Bureau of Industry and Security, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were involved in the case.
This case was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce.
The Strike Force is designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and stop critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.
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