Photos of a weapon and parts of subject electronics that were recovered connected Shenghua Wen's phone.
Courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice
A Chinese nationalist was sentenced to 8 years successful situation for conspiring to illegally smuggle guns, ammunition, and delicate U.S. tech to North Korea, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.
Shenghua Wen, 42, pleaded guilty successful June to 1 number each of conspiring to interruption the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and acting arsenic an amerciable cause of a overseas government.
Wen had admitted to concealing the contraband wrong shipping containers that helium falsely claimed were filled with user goods bound for China.
Wen said North Korean officials wired him astir $2 cardinal to bargain guns and different products, according to a criminal complaint successful Los Angeles national court.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson sentenced Wen successful that tribunal connected Monday.
Attorneys from the Federal Public Defenders Office, who represented Wen, did not instantly respond to requests for comment.
Wen, a Chinese national who entered the U.S. successful 2012, has been surviving successful the state illegally since his pupil visa expired successful December 2013, the DOJ said.
He met with North Korean officials earlier entering the U.S., and they directed him to procure goods for them, the DOJ said.
Wen successfully exported astatine slightest 2 shipments of guns and ammo from Long Beach, California, to North Korea, according to the complaint.
He identified the contents of 1 of those shipping containers arsenic a "refrigerator."
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When national agents searched his Ontario, California, location successful August 2024, they seized a "chemical menace recognition device" and different point intended to observe eavesdropping devices, the tribunal papers said.
Wen admitted astatine that clip that helium had acquired those devices to nonstop to North Korea's military, according to the complaint.
Less than a period later, the feds seized 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition from Wen's van, which helium said was besides intended to beryllium sent to North Korea, the papers said.
He has been held successful national custody since his apprehension successful aboriginal December.
His conspiracy complaint carried a maximum condemnation of 20 years successful prison.
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