DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGAL EXPORT OF ROCKET TECHNOLOGY TO SOUTH KOREA
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigations, John F. Khin, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and John Corbett, Special Agent in Charge, NASA OIG, Office of Criminal Investigations, announced that defendant Juwhan Yun, a/k/a Jw Yun, 69, of Short Hills, New Jersey, pled guilty today to attempting to export RD-180 rocket propulsion system and technology to the Republic of South Korea without a license. Sentencing is scheduled for August 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
According to court documents and statements made in court, as early as December 2008, Yun attempted to acquire RD-180 rocket propulsion systems, engines and related technology for the Republic of South Korea. These items are classified as defense articles under the U.S. Munitions List.
According to court documents, Yun was previously convicted of conspiring to export Sarin gas in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and was previously sentenced to 39 months in prison. As a result of today’s guilty plea, Yun faces a term of up to ten years in prison.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the ICE’s Office of Investigations in Ft. Lauderdale, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and NASA OIG, Office of Criminal Investigations, as well as the assistance of the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Walleisa.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
