Virginia Company Pleads Guilty to Arms Brokering
Posted: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:01:23
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582414,00.html
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia —
A company in Virginia has pleaded guilty to trying to sell guns, night vision goggles and other military equipment to people in Yemen and Libya.
At a hearing Thursday in federal court in Alexandria, a representative for Taipan Enterprises Ltd. pleaded guilty to unlawfully brokering sales of military equipment.
The company was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, the amount recommended by prosecutors. The company was never actually able to sell any equipment. Defense lawyer John Hundley said the small fine is evidence that the company's conduct was relatively minor.
The company's president said his contacts in Yemen were with a businessman. Court records show the company tried to sell Swiss-made machine pistols to a Yemeni national in 2007 and night vision goggles to Libya and a Chilean military contractor.
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia —
A company in Virginia has pleaded guilty to trying to sell guns, night vision goggles and other military equipment to people in Yemen and Libya.
At a hearing Thursday in federal court in Alexandria, a representative for Taipan Enterprises Ltd. pleaded guilty to unlawfully brokering sales of military equipment.
The company was ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, the amount recommended by prosecutors. The company was never actually able to sell any equipment. Defense lawyer John Hundley said the small fine is evidence that the company's conduct was relatively minor.
The company's president said his contacts in Yemen were with a businessman. Court records show the company tried to sell Swiss-made machine pistols to a Yemeni national in 2007 and night vision goggles to Libya and a Chilean military contractor.
