Final Defendant Sentenced in Wisconsin-China Export Scheme
Mr. Ning Wen of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was sentenced on January 18, 2006 to 60 months in prison for export control and money laundering violations. Mr. Wen was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, to forfeit his interest in his home and forfeit $329,000 in cash.
Mr. Wen was convicted in September 2005 by a federal jury in Milwaukee, Wisconsin of nine counts related to his participation in a conspiracy to export more than $300,000 in electronic components to China from 1991 to 2004. According to the U.S. Government, the electronic components, primarily semi-conductor chips, had a wide variety of applications including military radar and communications applications, and as such, required export licenses. Wen and three others involved in the transactions, including his wife, Hailin Lin, and two Chinese nationals, failed to obtain the requisite export licenses and shipped the items to China, where they were distributed to entities and institutes including some that conduct military research and development. The jury also convicted Wen of laundering money for the purpose of promoting the illegal exports.
Mr. Wen’s wife, Hailin Lin, previously pled guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 42 months in prison and a $50,000 fine. The two other co-defendants in the case, Jian Guo Qu and Ruo Ling Wang were also sentenced to prison time and ordered to pay monetary penalties.