U.S. charges pair as China spies
Taiwanese, French citizens indicted in military equipment scheme
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Taiwanese citizen has been indicted as an agent of the People's Republic of China in a lengthy indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Florida, federal officials announced in Washington Friday.
The man, identified as Ko-Suen Moo of Taipei, is charged with being a covert Chinese agent, and working with a Frenchman to try to ship sophisticated high-tech military equipment from the United States to China.
Moo and Serge Voros of Paris have been indicted in Miami, Florida with attempting to export an F-16 aircraft engine, Black Hawk helicopter engines, cruise missiles, and air-to-air missiles to China, according to a statement released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.
Moo is in federal custody in Florida. Voros remains at large.
Moo also faces bribery, money laundering and obstruction of justice charges in the schemes alleged in a nine-count indictment.
The indictment says Moo and Voros had been negotiating to deliver the equipment to China for two years. During one of at least two trips from Taiwan to the United States, Moo allegedly transferred $140,000 to pay for the delivery of the fighter aircraft engine to an airstrip on the Chinese mainland.
"This case raises particular concerns given some of the items to be exported," said Jesus Torres of ICE.
Officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department said the investigation was conducted jointly by ICE and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
If convicted on all counts the defendants could be sentenced to a total of more than 40 years in prison.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Taiwanese citizen has been indicted as an agent of the People's Republic of China in a lengthy indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Florida, federal officials announced in Washington Friday.
The man, identified as Ko-Suen Moo of Taipei, is charged with being a covert Chinese agent, and working with a Frenchman to try to ship sophisticated high-tech military equipment from the United States to China.
Moo and Serge Voros of Paris have been indicted in Miami, Florida with attempting to export an F-16 aircraft engine, Black Hawk helicopter engines, cruise missiles, and air-to-air missiles to China, according to a statement released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.
Moo is in federal custody in Florida. Voros remains at large.
Moo also faces bribery, money laundering and obstruction of justice charges in the schemes alleged in a nine-count indictment.
The indictment says Moo and Voros had been negotiating to deliver the equipment to China for two years. During one of at least two trips from Taiwan to the United States, Moo allegedly transferred $140,000 to pay for the delivery of the fighter aircraft engine to an airstrip on the Chinese mainland.
"This case raises particular concerns given some of the items to be exported," said Jesus Torres of ICE.
Officials of the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department said the investigation was conducted jointly by ICE and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
If convicted on all counts the defendants could be sentenced to a total of more than 40 years in prison.
posted by Marko at 2/10/2006 12:09:00 AM
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