Firm, Professor Indicted For Sending Data to China

[unhappycamper]

Firm, Professor Indicted For Sending Data to China
By antonie boessenkool
Published: 21 May 16:15 EDT (12:15 GMT)

Atmospheric Glow Technologies, a Knoxville, Tenn., technology company, and a retired professor at The University of Tennessee were indicted May 20 on charges of conspiring to pass restricted military data to a Chinese graduate student.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Tennessee returned an 18-count indictment charging J. Reece Roth and Atmospheric Glow Technologies with conspiring to defraud the Air Force and disclose restricted U.S. military data about UAVs to foreign nationals without first obtaining the required U.S. government license or approval.

According to the indictment, between January 2004 and May 2006, Atmospheric Glow Technologies and Roth allegedly conspired to transmit export-controlled technical data tied to a restricted Air Force contract to develop plasma actuators for a munitions-type UAV to one or more foreign nationals, including a citizen from the People's Republic of China who was a graduate research assistant at the University of Tennessee.

Roth left for the People's Republic of China in May 2006 and carried multiple documents related to the Air Force contract that contained technical data controlled by the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations. In May 2006, Roth allegedly directed the wire transmission to an individual in China of a document containing restricted technical data controlled by ITAR and related to the contract, according to the indictment.

Atmospheric Glow Technologies and Roth are both charged with, among other things, conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. Violations of the Arms Export Control Act carry a maximum possible penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $1 million fine.


Rest of article at: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3540479&c=AME&s=TOP