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September 27, 2016Orlando, FL, United StatesNational Security, Counter Proliferation Investigation Unit

Woman sentenced for acting as illegal agent for a foreign government

ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida woman was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison Monday for acting in the U.S. as an illegal agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the attorney general and for conspiring to commit international money laundering. This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

According to the plea agreement, Amin Yu, 55, of Orlando, from at least 2002 to February 2014, at the direction of co-conspirators working for Harbin Engineering University (HEU, a People’s Republic of China (PRC)-controlled entity) PRC, obtained systems and components for marine submersible vehicles from companies in the U.S. She then illegally exported those items to the PRC for use by her co-conspirators in the development of marine submersible vehicles including unmanned underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles for HEU and other state-controlled entities. Yu illegally exported items by failing to file Electronic Export Information (EEI), as required by U.S. law and by also filing false EEI. Yu completed and caused the completion of export-related documents in which she significantly undervalued the items that she had exported and provided false end user information for those items.

"Protecting our homeland encompasses many missions, including safeguarding our nation's technologies," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "This criminal thought she could thwart our laws and she will now face the consequences."

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Irick and Trial Attorneys David C. Recker and Thea D. R. Kendler of the National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The sentencing was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III for the Middle District of Florida.

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