ICE Charges CA Man for Attempting to Export Military Items to Iran, Etc.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has announced that special agents of its Homeland Security Investigations have charged Marc Knapp of Simi Valley, CA for engaging in a seven-month course of criminal conduct involving controlled technology exports to Hungary and attempted exports to Iran and Russia.
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Faces $2M Fine, 40 Years Prison for IEPA, AECA Violations
Knapp faces a maximum statutory sentence of 40 years incarceration, followed by three years supervised release, a $2 million fine, forfeiture, and a $200 mandatory special assessment for his violations of the International Economic Powers Act and the Arms Export control Act. 1
Illegally Exported U.S. Defense Articles, Fighter Jets, Radios, Manuals, Etc.
Knapp's conduct involved the illegal export and attempted export of the following U.S. defense articles:
- one F-5B Tiger II fighter jet
- five CSU-13 anti-gravity (Anti-G) flight suits, which are worn by pilots to counteract the forces of gravity and acceleration
- one F-14 NATOPS emergency procedures manual, which is designed for use by pilots during in-flight emergencies in F-14A and B (Tomcat), F-5 (Tiger II) and F-4B (Phantom) fighter jets
- three electronic versions of the NATOPS emergency procedures manual
- four AN/PRC-149 survival radios, which are hand-held search and rescue radios used primarily by U.S. Navy pilots as an emergency locator beacon
- two F-14 (GRU-7A) ejection seats
Defendant Sold Undercover ICE Agent Defense Items for Export
According to court documents, a cooperating defendant introduced Knapp to an undercover ICE HSI special agent (UC) to whom Knapp provided various lists containing photographs and descriptions of defense items for sale.
In February and May 2010, Knapp exported five CSU-13 Anti-Gravity flight suits and a NATOPS emergency procedures manual from the U.S. to Hungary. On a separate occasion, Knapp sold the UC an F-14 (GRU-7A) ejection seat to be sent to Iran. In July 2010, Knapp sold four AN/PRC-149 handheld search and rescue radios to the UC for shipment to Russia and signed a contract with the UC to transport an F-5 fighter jet from the U.S. to Iran. HIS and DCIS agents arrested Knapp after the signing of the contract.
1The Information charges Knapp with one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Title 50, United States Code, Sections 1702 and 1705(c), and Executive Order 13222, and Title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 560.204-560.205, and one count of violating the Arms Export Control Act, Title 22, United States Code, Sections 2778(b)(2) and 2778(c), and Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 121.1, 123.1, and 127.1.