Chinese citizen pleads guilty to attempting to smuggle US military equipment to PRC
Dingwei Chen, a 29-year-old Chinese citizen, tried to purchase US-manufactured military communications hardware on the black market with the intention of smuggling the technology to China.
A Chinese national admitted to federal court charges for attempting to smuggle US military equipment to China, according to the US Justice Department. Dingwei Chen, 29, sought to buy US-manufactured communications hardware, including radios and satellite modems, on the black market. Chen collaborated with others in China to acquire the devices from foreign arms dealers, paying a down payment of $40,000 for the technology.
The co-conspirators made an additional payment of $30,000 in cryptocurrency for ten satellite modems. To evade detection, Chen and his accomplices used cryptocurrency for transactions and encrypted apps to communicate. Chen initially planned to purchase 10 modems, but claimed he had the funds to acquire tens of millions of dollars worth of military technology.
The co-conspirators also discussed smuggling the equipment through Switzerland, Saipan, or Mexico. The illegal hardware is subject to US export licensing, and Chen's guilty plea was accepted by a federal court in Salt Lake City, with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Acting Special Agent in Charge of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Investigations praised the collaboration among law enforcement agencies in holding Chen accountable, warning of the potential use of such equipment against the US.
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