New Zealander convicted of trying to smuggle sensitive technology to China

SEATTLE – A resident of New Zealand was convicted Dec. 14 of two felony counts involving violations of the Arms Export Control Act for traveling to Seattle in April to obtain sensitive parts designed for missile and space applications.

After deliberating about three hours, a jury convicted William Ali, 38, of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and attempting to violate the Act. He remains in federal custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled March 16.

In April 2015, Ali became the center of a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) when he emailed several companies and distributors about purchasing certain accelerometers that are designed for use in spacecraft and missile navigation. These technologies cannot be exported from the U.S. without a license from the U.S. State Department, which Ali did not acquire.

According to court documents, Ali communicated for a year by phone and email with an HSI undercover investigator and an individual in China seeking the accelerometers and gyroscopes. Ali knowingly planned to purchase the devices and transport them to China by illegal means, made clear in his emails to the special agent.

Before traveling to Seattle, Ali sent the HSI special agent nearly $25,000, provided by his contact in China, for the devices. Ali met the investigator at a downtown hotel and was arrested shortly after taking possession of the devices. At the time, Ali had an airline ticket to Hong Kong and a visa to travel to China.

Conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine while attempting to violate the act is punishable by up to 20 years and a $1 million fine.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Woods and Rebecca Cohen.