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LA-area woman arrested on fed charges alleging scheme to smuggle restricted space coms tech to China
[INS Website] LOS ANGELES ‐ A Pomona woman was arrested Tuesday morning on federal charges that accuse her of conspiring to procure and illegally export sensitive space communications technology to her native China.Si Chen, also known as Cathy Chen, 32, is expected to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon in U.S. District Court on charges contained in an indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury April 27 and unsealed following her arrest. The 14-count indictment accuses Chen of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which controls and restricts the export of certain goods and technology from the United States to foreign nations. Chen is also charged with conspiracy, money laundering, making false statements on an immigration application, and using a forged passport. According to the indictment, from March 2013 to December 2015, Chen purchased and smuggled sensitive items to China without obtaining licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce that are required under IEEPA. Those items allegedly included components commonly used in military communications "jammers" from which Chen removed the export-control warning stickers prior to shipping. Additionally, Chen is suspected of smuggling communications devices worth more than $100,000 that are commonly used in space communications applications. On the shipping paperwork Chen falsely valued the items at $500. The indictment further describes how Chen received payments for the illegally exported products through an account held at a bank in China by a family member. "Federal export laws are designed to protect American interests by preventing the proliferation of technology that may fall into the wrong hands," said Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown. "We will vigorously pursue those who traffic items that could harm our national security if they land in the wrong hands." Chen was taken into custody without incident Tuesday morning by special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE); and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). Posted by: Besoeker 2017-05-24 |
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