Silicon Valley Export Broker Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Illegal Exports to China
On
December 4, 2007, the San Jose Mercury
News reported
that
a Cupertino, CA man was sentenced to two years
in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $50,000
for exporting controlled night vision equipment
to China.
Philip Cheng, an export broker, was indicted in 2004 on export control and arms trafficking violations for his role in brokering the sale of night vision gear to Chinese governement authorities. Cheng, 60, pleaded guilty after a mistrial in which a jury voted 11-1 for conviction. He was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Ronald M. Whyte in San Jose today.
The Mecury News reports:
Philip Cheng, an export broker, was indicted in 2004 on export control and arms trafficking violations for his role in brokering the sale of night vision gear to Chinese governement authorities. Cheng, 60, pleaded guilty after a mistrial in which a jury voted 11-1 for conviction. He was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Ronald M. Whyte in San Jose today.
The Mecury News reports:
Federal authorities accused Cheng and Martin Shih, founder of Night Vision Technology, of selling a Panther series infrared camera to the North China Research Institute of Electro-Optics and the China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation. Authorities said the equipment could be used by China's military. Shih has since died of cancer. Cheng will begin serving his sentence on Feb. 18.