Ninth Circuit Affirms Sentence for Man Who Exported Night-Vision Scopes to Russia
The Ninth Circuit upheld a California federal court's sentence for a defendant who admitted to conspiring to ship night-vision and thermal-vision rifle scopes to Russia and to launder the proceeds via offshore banks.
An appellate panel in San Francisco confirmed the lower-court sentencing of a man who pleaded guilty to a plot that exported night-vision and thermal-vision rifle scopes to Russia. The scheme involved moving the illicit profits through a network of offshore banking institutions. The defendant's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel was rejected, and the court found the State Department acted within its authority under the Arms Export Control Act when it issued the relevant regulation.
Why it matters
The ruling reinforces U.S. export-control laws and signals strict penalties for illicit arms-related trade.
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