A Chinese national was sentenced to 40 months in prison after trying to export military and space-related technology to China without proper licenses, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Justice Department said in an Oct. 18 press release.
A Turkish government-owned bank was charged with fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after working with Iran to evade U.S. sanctions, the Justice Department said in an Oct. 15 press release. The bank -- Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S., also known as Halkbank -- helped run the “multibillion-dollar scheme” by deceiving U.S. regulators and foreign banks and lying to U.S. authorities, the press release said.
The Department of Commerce denied a man export privileges after he was convicted of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. Kenneth S. Chait illegally exported “ceramic metal triggered spark gaps, also known as nuclear triggered spark gaps,” listed on the Commerce Control List. Chait was convicted November 13, 2018, and sentenced to one year and one day in prison, two years of supervised release and a $100 fine, the notice said. Commerce revoked Chait’s export privileges for five years from his date of conviction.
The Department of Commerce banned export privileges for a man who was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act in 2018, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. Commerce said the man, Eldar Rezvanov, illegally exported items on the U.S. Munitions List to Russia, including seven fully assembled firearms, 10 firearm stocks, 130 fully assembled lower receivers, 133 firearm frames, 158 firearm barrels, 266 firearm slides, 435 functional firearm parts and 966 magazines. Rezvanov was sentenced to 46 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $100 fine, and was placed on the State Department’s Debarred List. Commerce revoked Rezvanov’s export privileges for 10 years from his July 24, 2018, conviction.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a $2.7 million settlement with Boston-based General Electric for 289 violations of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations by three of GE’s current or former subsidiaries, OFAC said in an Oct. 1 notice. The subsidiaries -- Getsco Technical Services Inc., Bentley Nevada, and GE Betz -- accepted payments from The Cobalt Refinery Company, a U.S.-sanctioned company, “for goods and services provided to a Canadian customer” between 2010 and 2014, OFAC said.
The Department of Commerce revoked export privileges for Rasheed Al Jijakli, who was convicted in 2018 of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act after trying to illegally export tactical gear to the U.S. from Syria, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. The gear included U.S. “laser boresighters and day- and night-vision rifle scopes,” Commerce said. Jijakli was sentenced to 46 months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine, the notice said. Commerce revoked Jijakli’s export privileges for 10 years dating from his Dec. 20, 2018, conviction.
The Department of Commerce revoked export privileges for Benjamin James Cance, who was convicted in 2016 of violating the Arms Export Control Act, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. Cance illegally exported gun components listed on the U.S. Munitions List, Commerce said, and was sentenced to four years in prison, two years of supervised release and a $3,000 fine. Cance was also placed on the State Department’s Debarred List, the notice said. Commerce revoked Cance’s export privileges for 10 years from his Jan. 15, 2016, conviction.
The Department of Commerce revoked export privileges for Barbara Jo Luque, who was convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act in 2018 after illegally attempting to export items controlled on the U.S. Munitions List to Mexico, Commerce said in a Sept. 30 notice. The items included 5,000 rounds of “FMJ Russian 7.62x39 mm ammunition” and 125 Ak-47 KCI 30-round magazines, the notice said. Luque was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $100 fine, the notice said. Commerce revoked Luque’s export privileges for seven years dating from her April 25, 2018, conviction.
An Iranian citizen was sentenced to 27 months in prison for conspiring to illegally export technology to Iran, the Justice Department said Sept. 24. Negar Ghodskani pleaded guilty to the charges in August and admitted using a front company he helped found, Malaysia-based Green Wave Telecommunication, to buy export-controlled technology from the U.S. and hide the ultimate end-user and destination, located in Iran (see 1908120016).
Dip Shipping Company, a New Orleans-based freight forwarder, agreed to plead guilty to antitrust violation allegations as part of a plea agreement, the Department of Justice said in a Sept. 17 news release. "Dip Shipping is the first company to be charged and to agree to plead guilty in the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation in the freight forwarding industry," the DOJ said. The company will pay a criminal fine of about $488,000. Some company executives had already pleaded guilty to the price fixing after being charged last year (see 1807050035), the DOJ said. Roberto Dip and Jason Handal were sentenced to prison terms in June.