News Releases and Statements

Philip Chaohui HE, aka Philip Hope, was residing in Oakland, Calif., at the time of his arrest. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver Dec. 15, 2011.

Siarhei Baltutski, aka Sergey Boltutskiy, 41, must also pay a $3,000 fine, $300 special assessment and serve three years of supervised release.

Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan pleaded guilty Tuesday in New Haven federal court to conspiring to provide and providing material support, including funds, personnel and physical items, to the Chechen Mujahideen, the Taliban and associated terrorist groups.

Belgian businessman Nicholas Kaiga will be arraigned Thursday on federal charges alleging he violated U.S. laws by attempting to export aluminum tubes, that were controlled for nuclear nonproliferation purposes, from an Illinois company, through Belgium, to a Malaysian company, without obtaining a required license from the U.S. Commerce Department

The owner of two New Jersey defense contracting businesses, Hannah Robert, was arraigned Monday for allegedly transmitting military blueprints to India without a license.

Robert Luba, the owner and general manager of Sparta-based Allied Components LLC, a company that supplies defense hardware items to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), pleaded guilty Wednesday to making a false claim to the DOD and for violating the Arms Export Control Act. Luba provided the DOD non-conforming wing-pins for the F-15 fighter.

Nares Lekhakul, 36, a Thai national and U.S. lawful permanent resident living in Bellevue, and his Thai brother Naris Lekhakul, 42, now face recommended sentences of 48 months and 30 months respectively.

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents provided investigative leads to the National Police Agency of Japan (NPA) resulting in the Sept. 26 arrest of two Japanese nationals and the seizure of a firearm.

According to the plea agreement, from approximately 2009 to September 2012, John Alexander Talley, 42, and his company conspired with others to unlawfully export sophisticated enterprise-level computer equipment from the United States to Iran.

Philip Chaohui He, aka Philip Hope, is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel Dec. 18. He is currently in federal custody.

Federal agents arrested two brothers, both of whom worked for law enforcement agencies, Thursday for conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act by exporting high-powered weapons from the United States to the Philippines.

Arsalan Shemirani has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to illegally export more than 3,000 electronic components from the United States to Iran through Hong Kong, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C.

Federal agents arrested Patrick Campbell Wednesday for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by attempting to broker the sale of yellowcake uranium to Iran. Campbell brought a sample of uranium with him to the United States Aug. 21, which he concealed in the soles of shoes packed in his luggage.

Mehdi Khorramshahgol conspired with others in Iran to purchase industrial goods from United States businesses for the Iranian petrochemical industry. The defendant falsely represented that the end users for his purchases were in Dubai.

A Greensboro, N.C., man, Muhaned Abbas Mohamed, was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months in prison for conspiracy to smuggle shotguns from the United States and to making a false and fictitious statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm from a licensed dealer.

Peter Picone, 40, of Methuen, has been charged with importing counterfeit semiconductors from China for sale in the United States.

Anthony J. Torresi, of Coral Gables, Fla., listed night vision goggles and night vision monoculars for sale on eBay. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully exporting the night vision equipment.

Hia Soo Gan Benson and Lim Kow Seng pleaded guilty in federal court in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act by unlawful export of 55 military antennas from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Ricardo Cantu Jr., 32, of Hidalgo, Texas, appeared before U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa who sentenced him to 30 months imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Judge Hinojosa took into consideration that the defendant repeatedly changed his story, which resulted in the sentence ultimately imposed Monday.

From 2005 to 2007, Modanlo made false statements and concealed information.

Each spring, the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC) rolls into Tampa, Fla. Representatives from a variety of companies, ranging from those that manufacture sensitive military technologies to suppliers of tactical gear, peddle their wares for conference attendees.

Four Mexican men, who illegally entered the United States and possessed 40mm grenades and a grenade launcher, were sentenced Wednesday to between five and 10 years in federal prison for possessing destructive devices.

Yadira Mauricio Ybarra was sentenced Wednesday to 87 months in federal prison for her roles in a conspiracy to purchase machine guns and attempt to smuggle them into Mexico, and bank fraud.