Latest news with #ExportControlReformAct
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Hard to imagine a bigger betrayal': AZ judge reveals men's Russia aircraft parts scheme
An Arizona judge sentenced two Russian men to prison for sending aircraft parts to Russia in an illegal export scam. U.S. District Court Judge Dominic Lanza handed Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya an almost six-year sentence on April 2, while Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin was handed a two-year sentence. The two Florida residents presented themselves to U.S. companies, including one in Arizona, as brokers seeking aircraft parts on behalf of clients in other countries. However, they intended to send the parts to Russia, in violation of heightened export controls in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to court documents. The two were charged with violating the federal Export Control Reform Act. Patsulya's sentence also reflected his guilty plea to money laundering. He agreed to forfeit more than $4.5M in assets, including a luxury vehicle and a boat, to compensate for the money he made off of the scheme. In a statement, Lanza identified Patsulya as the leader of the plot, which Patsulya hatched after he had been granted a visa to be in the U.S. legally. 'It's hard to imagine a bigger betrayal of the United States than what you did,' Lanza said. In his plea agreement, Patsulya acknowledged that by pleading guilty it was "a virtual certainty" that he would be deported from the U.S. The duo's efforts to obtain parts for a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737s led them to an Arizona firm, identified in court documents as "Arizona Company 1." During a Sept. 8, 2022 visit, the two said they were interested in buying brake parts for a Turkish client and signed forms indicating the transaction complied with export rules. Both actions were lies, court documents stated. The Arizona deal never went through, but the two pursued other companies and ultimately were able to ship some of the brake systems to Russia, records show. The case was investigated by the Phoenix field office of the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security and Phoenix-based FBI agents. They were aided by federal investigators in Boston and Miami. Reach the reporter at or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on social media @maryjpitzl. . Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona company targeted in scheme to export aircraft parts illegally
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former US Attorney Jessica Aber, 43, Found Dead in Virginia Home
Former U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber has been found dead in her Virginia home at the age of 43. According to NBC News, Alexandria, Virginia, police found Aber deceased after receiving a call about an "unresponsive woman" around 9:18 a.m. on March 22, 2025. The cause of death for Aber has not been released. 'As a matter of protocol, an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death,' police said, according to NBC, which noted that the cause and manner of death will be determined by the medical examiner, and it's not yet clear whether the death was suspicious. Aber's death was also confirmed by U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert, who said in a statement, 'We are heartbroken beyond words to learn of the passing of our friend and former colleague, U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber. She was unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor, and she is simply irreplaceable as a human being." He added: "Jess was a proud Virginian from high school through college and throughout her career. She loved EDVA and EDVA loved her back. We remain committed to her life's work, a commitment to seeking justice, as she would have wanted.' According to Newsweek, before stepping down after the inauguration, Aber led "high-profile investigations into intelligence leaks, allegations of war crimes against Russian-linked individuals, and people suspected of providing sensitive U.S. technology to Moscow." For example, one DOJ news release lists her as being involved in the prosecution of a "dual U.S.-Russian citizen" who pleaded guilty "to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization." She was also involved in the case of former CIA analyst Asif Rahman, 34, of Vienna, who pled guilty "to retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information, which was publicly posted on a social media platform in October 2024," according to DOJ. She was active on X through January, when she stepped down. "Serving as U.S. Attorney has been an honor. EDVA is full of dedicated, extraordinary public servants. Thanks to everyone who kept up with EDVA's fantastic work on X during my tenure," she wrote on X on Jan. 17. According to the U.S. Department of Justice news release on her appointment, Aber served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). As U.S. Attorney, Aber supervised "the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in which the United States has an interest. She leads a staff of approximately 300 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel across four Divisions located in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and Newport News. The district serves over six million residents," the release said. "U.S. Attorney Aber was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on August 10, 2021 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on October 5, 2021 for the position of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. President Biden signed Ms. Aber's commission on October 7, 2021," it notes. "Ms. Aber began her service to EDVA in 2009 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, taking on a variety of financial fraud, public corruption, violent crime, and child exploitation cases. From 2015 to 2016, she served on a detail assignment as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. Since 2016, Ms. Aber has served as the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for EDVA," the release continues. "Ms. Aber received the Assistant Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service from the Department of Justice in 2019." The release says that before joining DOJ, Aber "was an associate at McGuireWoods LLP from 2007 to 2008. She served as a law clerk for then-Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2006 to 2007. Ms. Aber received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School in 2006 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Richmond in 2003."
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC businessman pleads guilty to trying to send technology with military uses to China
The owner of a Raleigh-based company pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to attempting to sell technology with military applications to China without a required license, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. David C. Bohmerwald, 63, the owner of Components Cooper Inc., was formally charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act in October. That law, passed in 2018, aims to increase control over emerging and foundational technologies. Bohmerwald pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle in Raleigh. He now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, the Justice Department news release said. 'North Carolina is home to cutting-edge technologies that fuel our economy, improve our lives, and are vital to national security. But our status as a major tech hub also makes us a target, as America's foreign adversaries seek to acquire sensitive tech to advance their military might and interests around the world,' acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Bubar said in a statement. 'We've launched a multi-agency Disruptive Technology Strike Force cell to shut down international schemes that smuggle sensitive technology and IP to America's adversaries. This case is just one example, exposing a scheme to evade U.S. export laws by shipping nearly $20,000 worth of accelerometers with missile applications from North Carolina to the People's Republic of China,' he said. Bohmerwald purchased 100 accelerometers from a U.S.-based electronics company and then attempted to export the devices to a company in China, the news release said. The accelerometers can be used for various purposes, including research and development as well as defense applications, according to the release. One way they can be used for military purposes is to help missiles fly more accurately and measure the precise impact of munitions on structures, the release stated. The U.S. electronics company alerted law enforcement after Bohmerwald's suspicious purchase of accelerometers. He claimed they were for a Missouri customer, but the Missouri company told federal agents they had no order with Bohmerwald. After receiving the devices, Bohmerwald dropped two packages at a local FedEx store, one addressed to a Chinese business. An agent with the Department of Commerce intercepted the package, discovering the 100 accelerometers inside with no export license on file. Bohmerwald had also undervalued the shipment at $100, though its true value was nearly $20,000. In interviews, he admitted acquiring the technology for a Chinese company, knowing it was export-controlled and required a license, according to the news release. According to court documents, Components Cooper Inc. has existed since May 2018 and lists its business as electronic sales. Its sole employee was Bohmerwald. The company has been associated with at least 26 exports, which have gone to locations in Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and China. Those exports were either integrated circuits or electronic components, court records show.
Washington Post
01-03-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
North Carolina company owner pleads guilty over attempted technology sale to China
RALEIGH, N.C. — The owner of a North Carolina company pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to trying to sell electronic devices that have military applications to China without having a required U.S. government license, authorities said. David C. Bohmerwald, who was formally charged in October with violating the Export Control Reform Act and other portions of the federal code, entered the plea to a count before U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle in Raleigh. Bohmerwald, 63, has a tentative sentencing date for mid-May, court records show. He could face up to 20 years in prison, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina company owner pleads guilty over attempted technology sale to China
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The owner of a North Carolina company pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to trying to sell electronic devices that have military applications to China without having a required U.S. government license, authorities said. David C. Bohmerwald, who was formally charged in October with violating the Export Control Reform Act and other portions of the federal code, entered the plea to a count before U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle in Raleigh. Bohmerwald, 63, has a tentative sentencing date for mid-May, court records show. He could face up to 20 years in prison, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release. Bohmerwald, the owner of Raleigh-based Components Cooper Inc., purchased 100 accelerometers from a U.S.-based electronic company, and then attempted to export the devices to a company in China, the release said, citing court documents and information presented in court. An accelerometer, which measures the vibration, tilt and acceleration of a structure, can be used in aerospace and military applications, such as helping missiles fly more accurately and measuring the precise effect of munitions. The electronics company notified law enforcement about Bohmerwald's purchase request. After receiving the accelerometers, Bohmerwald dropped off two parcels -- one addressed to a business in China -- at a shipping store, the release said. A federal agent held the package and found the 100 accelerometers inside. Bohmerwald falsely listed the value of the package's content at $100, when the true value was nearly $20,000, according to the government, and he admitted to agents that he acquired the technology on behalf of a Chinese-based company while knowing about the export restrictions. 'The disruption of this scheme to illegally export sensitive technology means that accelerometers and other items will not be used by unauthorized individuals or for adversarial purposes,' said Cardell Morant, a special agent in charge who supervises Homeland Security Investigations, within the Department of Homeland Security, in the Carolinas. Lawyers identified in court records as representing Bohmerwald in the case didn't respond Friday to an email seeking comment.
