Florida Jury Convicts Defendant for Conspiring to Violate U.S. Export Control Laws

A federal court jury in Fort Pierce, Florida last week convicted a defendant of seven counts of conspiring to violate U.S. export control laws.

Mr. Joseph Piquet, who will be sentenced on May 14, 2009, was convicted of attempting to purchase military use electronic components from Northrop Grumman Corporation and to ship the items to Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China without first obtaining required export licenses under the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The products that Piquet attempted to export included power amplifiers designed for use by the U.S. military in early warning radar and missile target acquisition systems and low noise amplifiers that have both a commercial and military use.

According to the Justice Department, on five separate occasions spanning from March 2004 through February 2005, Piquet bought the electronic components and submitted false End-Use Certificates to the manufacturer to conceal the intended final destination of the parts, which he then forwarded through conspirators in Texas and Hong Kong.