{"id":17356,"date":"2015-11-13T19:13:54","date_gmt":"2015-11-14T03:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=17356"},"modified":"2015-11-13T19:13:54","modified_gmt":"2015-11-14T03:13:54","slug":"feds-englishman-attempted-to-export-restricted-chemical-laboratory-equipment-to-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=17356","title":{"rendered":"Feds: Englishman Attempted to Export Restricted Chemical Laboratory Equipment to Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"

PENNSYLVANIA\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Courtroom\"<\/a>An Englishman was arraigned Friday on charges that he allegedly conspired to illegally export laboratory equipment, including items used to detect chemical warfare agents, from the United States to Syria, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahmad Feras Diri,<\/strong> 42, of London, is charged with allegedly conspiring to illegally export laboratory equipment, including items used to detect chemical warfare agents, from the United States to Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Federal regulations require a license to export goods and services from the United States to Syria, excepting limited and certain categories of humanitarian food and medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Special Agent in Charge John Kelleghan of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations<\/strong> said: \u00a0\u201cNo good comes of illegal exports to Syria, especially during this time of gross misgovernment and civil strife. \u00a0As the principal enforcer of export controls, HSI will continue to do everything in its power to ensure that sensitive technology doesn’t fall into the wrong hands in Syria. \u00a0I applaud our colleagues at the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, along with our law enforcement counterparts in the United Kingdom. \u00a0This coordinated effort helped us make this complex investigation a success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The indictment was returned by a Scranton, Pennsylvania, grand jury on Nov. 20, 2012, and charges Diri; Mowea Diri<\/strong>, Ahmad\u2019s brother and a citizen of Syria; d-Deri Contracting & Trading, a business located in Syria; and Harold Rinko<\/strong>, a U.S. citizen, with criminal conspiracy, wire fraud, illegal export of goods, money laundering and false statements.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

On Sept. 16, 2014, Rinko<\/strong> pleaded guilty to the criminal conspiracy charge before U.S. District Judge Edwin M. Kosik of Pennsylvania.<\/span><\/p>\n

On March 14, 2013, Diri was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London<\/strong> in connection with the federal charges and was extradited to the United States by the United Kingdom on Nov. 12, 2015.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Diri appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick and plead not guilty to the indictment.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The indictment alleges that from 2003 until Nov. 20, 2012, the three men conspired to export items from the United States through third party countries to customers in Syria without the required \u00a0federal licenses.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the conspirators prepared false invoices that undervalued and mislabeled the goods being purchased and listed false information regarding the buyers\u2019 identity and geographic location.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The indictment also alleges that the items were to be shipped from the United States to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, and thereafter transshipped to Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the indictment, the items allegedly included:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n