SEATTLE (AP) — The FBI has arrested a Woodinville man accused of conspiring to smuggle restricted satellite parts to China.
Lian Yang was scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Seattle on Monday, following his arrest Friday. The U.S. attorney’s office says the 46-year-old tried to recruit people to help him export 300 radiation-hardened semiconductor devices which he knew were illegal to export without State Department approval, because they’re covered by the Arms Export Control Act.
An FBI complaint unsealed Monday says that in a series of meetings with undercover agents this year, Yang agreed to pay $620,000 for the parts. The complaint says he planned to create false purchase orders and obliterate the serial numbers on the parts to mask that they were restricted.
Conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act is punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
