ICE-nominated assistant US attorney in Boston receives top prosecutor award

BOSTON – A local federal prosecutor, who has a well-earned reputation for successfully prosecuting cases investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boston, received top honors on Wednesday for her outstanding professional achievements as a leading member of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Assistant U. S. Attorney B. Stephanie Siegmann was presented with the top prosecutor award at the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Foundation's 2011 annual leadership training conference and banquet in Long Beach, Calif. Siegmann, who was nominated for the award by ICE HSI in Boston, was recognized for her work in the area of national security.

Siegmann is assigned to the anti-terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office. Since 2003, she has been investigating and prosecuting matters involving international terrorism, domestic terrorism, export violations, espionage, and misuse of classified information.

"We take great pride in the professionalism and expertise of Ms. Siegmann and her colleagues in the U.S Attorney's Office who demonstrate their unwavering commitment to prosecuting cases presented by ICE," said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Boston. "We salute her extraordinary ability to balance the complexities of cases and volumes of evidence with the need for interagency cooperation."

The recognition was shared by U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. "As the chief federal law enforcement officer in Massachusetts, I have an opportunity to work with some of the best prosecutors in the criminal justice system," said Ortiz. "We are fortunate to count Stephanie among them." Ortiz oversees the work of more than 200 attorneys and support staff in Boston, Worcester and Springfield.

Siegmann most recently captured international attention for her role for successfully prosecuting a Massachusetts electronics company charged with exporting military electronics components and sensitive electronics to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Waltham, Mass., company, Chitron Electronics Inc. (Chitron-US) was fined $15.5 million stemming from convictions last year. Several Chinese military entities were among those to whom the defendants exported the equipment.

In May 2010, Yufeng Wei, 46, of Belmont, Mass., was convicted of illegally exporting U.S. Munitions List parts and export restricted sensitive technology to the PRC over a period of 10 years, illegally exporting electronics to the PRC, and conspiring to file, and filing, false shipping documents with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Also in May 2010, Chitron-US was convicted of unlawfully exporting military electronics and exporting restricted electronics to the PRC and illegally exporting such parts to the PRC on 26 occasions between 2004 and 2007. Zhen Zhou Wu, who is Wei's ex-husband and the Chinese national who owned Chitron-US, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his role in the illegal export conspiracy.

WIFLE is a non-profit organization incorporated in June 1999, as an outgrowth of an interagency committee formed by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Treasury. The Interagency Committee on Women in Federal Law Enforcement (ICWIFLE) was created in 1977 to recruit and retain more women in federal law enforcement.

The WIFLE Foundation Inc., incorporated in 2006, is the educational entity providing for the Annual Leadership Training Conference, the Scholarship Program, research, and other programs. The WIFLE Scholarship Fund, administered by the WIFLE Foundation Inc., provides scholarship monies to students pursuing educational opportunities in law enforcement-related fields.