The Bureau of Industry and Security this week again renewed temporary denial orders for three Russian airlines (see 2206240051), because they continue to illegally operate aircraft on flights into and out of Russia. The agency renewed denial orders for Siberian Airlines, Pobeda Airlines and Nordwind Airlines for 180 days from June 15.
The State Department announced debarments against 10 people convicted of violating U.S. export control laws. The debarments, which will be imposed starting June 15, target Maria Guadalupe Almendarez, Murat Bukey (see 2303220054), Kevin Jerome Cassidy, Usama Darwich Hamade (see 2007210014), Andrew Scott Pierson, Ihor Radionov, Joe Sery (see 2206100018), Arif Ugur (see 2212150082), Tian Min Wu (see 2212020039) and Hany Veletanlic (see 2001300016). All 10 are “generally ineligible” to participate in activity controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations for three years following their dates of convictions. At the end of that period, they must apply to be reinstated from their debarment before engaging in ITAR activities.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently revoked export privileges for seven people after they illegally exported or tried to export controlled items, including military equipment, firearms and ammunition.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently suspended the export privileges of Thomas Harris, an inmate at a Louisiana federal prison, after he was convicted March 1, 2022, for smuggling firearms from the U.S. to Saint Lucia. BIS said Harris was sentenced to 46 months “confinement,” three years of supervised release and a $1,500 assessment. The agency suspended Harris’ export privileges for 10 years from the conviction date.
A Texas court dismissed charges related to a U.S. foreign bribery investigation involving Portuguese banker Paulo Jorge Da Costa Casequeiro Murta, ruling the U.S. violated the Speedy Trial Act by failing to bring Murta to trial within the 70-day limit set in the statute (United States v. Paulo Jorge Da Costa Casqueiro Murta, S.D. Tex. #4:17-00514).
The Bureau of Industry and Security again renewed the temporary denial order for Belavia Belarusian Airlines, Belarus' state-owned national airline. BIS first suspended the export privileges of the airline last June (see 2206160015) and again in December 2212150054), barring it from participating in transactions with items subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The agency renewed the denial order for another 180 days on June 7 after finding Belavia continues to illegally operate aircraft subject to the EAR, including for flights between Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
The State Department’s recently announced debarment of VTA Telecom (see 2305310040) highlights how cooperation with the government can lead to lower penalties, Miller & Chevalier said in a June 6 client alert. Although the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls didn’t “award credit” for VTA's disclosure, it did credit it for cooperating with DDTC’s investigation, which led to a debarment but no fine, the firm said. DDTC could have imposed a maximum $7.2 million penalty against the company.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed a suit from a group of investors that accused Ericsson of misleading them about elements of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act proceeding. Judge William Kuntz sided with Ericsson, ruling that the investors failed to claim that the company made misstatements since the alleged lies were "immaterial as a matter of law" or not false when made (In Re Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Securities Litigation, E.D.N.Y. # 22-1167).
Ross Roggio of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted for a host of crimes including illegally shipping export-controlled firearms parts to Iraq and operating an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Kurdistan, DOJ announced. Roggio was also convicted of torture and for arranging for Kurdish soldiers to abduct an Estonian citizen and detain him at a Kurdish military compound, where Roggio tortured the man. The victim worked at a weapons factory Roggio was developing in Iraq to manufacture M4 rifles and Glock pistols.
The Bureau of Industry and Security this week suspended the export privileges of one person for illegally exporting technology to Hong Kong, eight people for illegally exporting guns and ammunition to Mexico and two people for illegally sending firearms to the Dominican Republic.