북한에 대량살상무기 제조 설비를 밀수출하려한 대만의 사업가에게 2년형이 선고됐다.
일리노이 북부연방법원은 16일 북한에 대량살상무기 부품거래 금지를 위반한 혐의로 기소된 대만 국적의 시엔 타이차이(69)에게 24개월 금고형(禁錮刑)을 선고했다.
타이차이는 지난 2009년 시카고의 중장비회사에서 중심공 연삭기(center hole grinder)를 자신이 운영하는 무역회사 트랜스 멀티 미케닉스를 통해 북한에 반입하려 한 혐의로 FBI의 추적을 받다가 2013년 5월 에스토니아에서 체포(逮捕)됐다.
타이차이는 2014년 미국에 송환돼 그해 10월 대량살상무기 거래 위반에 따른 유죄를 인정했다. 그는 미국 정부의 조사에 협조하고 형량을 조정하는 플리바겐에 합의, 2년형을 선고받게 됐다.
그가 수입한 중심공 연삭기는 금속에 정밀하게 구멍을 뚫는 설비로 로켓 부품을 만드는데 필요한 것으로 알려졌다.
타이차이는 두 개의 회사가 지난 2009년 미 당국에 의해 거래가 규제(規制)됐고 트랜스 멀티 미케닉스는 2013년부터 제재를 받았다.
존 칼린 법무 보좌관은 이날 발표한 성명을 통해 "이같은 제재조치들은 대량살상무기의 구매 비용을 상승시켜 거래를 막는데 효과적"이라고 밝혔다.
뉴욕=임지환기자 newsroh@gmail.com
<꼬리뉴스>
Taiwanese Businessman Sentenced in North Korea Proliferation Case
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin; U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon of the Northern District of Illinois; Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Holley of the FBI’s Chicago Office; Special Agent in Charge Gary Hartwig of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Chicago; and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Nardella of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement of the Chicago Field Office announced today that a former resident of Taiwan, who the United States has linked to the supply of weapons manufacturing machinery to North Korea, was sentenced today to serve 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Norgle of the Northern District of Illinois.
The defendant, Hsien Tai Tsai, 69, pleaded guilty in October 2014, admitting that he conspired with others to interfere with and obstruct U.S. regulations that seek to disrupt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. When imposing sentence, Judge Norgle credited Tsai for the substantial assistance he provided, and would continue to provide, to the government in its investigation of weapons of mass destruction proliferators. Tsai, also known as Alex Tsai, was arrested in May 2013 in Tallinn, Estonia, and was later extradited to the United States, where he remains in federal custody.
“Hsien Tai Tsai violated a critical sanctions regime and undermined and interfered with U.S. efforts to disrupt North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and advanced weapons programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “These sanctions are meant to raise the cost for WMD proliferators to do business and deter others from proliferating by denying them access to our financial and commercial systems. This prosecution makes clear that we will use all of our tools to identify and arrest WMD proliferators and to disrupt their efforts to undermine our country's security. I’d like to thank all who helped with this investigation and prosecution.”
“Aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws targeting those who supply goods, services or other support to proliferators of weapons of mass destruction is vital to ensuring global safety,” said U.S. Attorney Fardon. “As this case demonstrates, companies and individuals who seek to evade these laws will confront an international law enforcement community working cooperatively and effectively to stem these threats.”
According to court documents, Tsai was associated with at least three companies based in Taiwan – Global Interface Company Inc., Trans Merits Co. Ltd., and Trans Multi Mechanics Co. Ltd. – that purchased and then exported, and attempted to purchase and then export, from the United States and other countries machinery used to fabricate metals and other materials with a high degree of precision.
In January 2009, under Executive Order 13382, which sanctions proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Tsai, Global Interface and Trans Merits as proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, isolating them from the U.S. financial and commercial systems and prohibiting any person or company in the United States from knowingly engaging in any transaction or dealing with them. At that time, the Treasury Department said that Tsai was designated because he provided, or attempted to provide, financial, technological, or other support for, or goods or services in support of, the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, which the Treasury Department has stated is North Korea’s premier arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. Additionally, Tsai he had been involved in shipping items to North Korea that could be used to support North Korea’s advanced weapons program. After the OFAC designations, Tsai and others continued to conduct business together, but attempted to hide Tsai’s and Trans Merit’s involvement in those transactions by conducting business under different company names, including Trans Multi Mechanics. Later, in 2013, Trans Multi Mechanics was also designated by OFAC.
In pleading guilty, Tsai admitted that he was involved in multiple commercial and financial transactions to undermine the sanctions against WMD proliferations, including the purchase of a Bryant center hole grinder from a U.S. company based in suburban Chicago, and exported it to Taiwan in 2009 using the company Trans Multi Mechanics. A Bryant center hole grinder is a machine tool used to grind a center hole, with precisely smooth sides, through the length of a material. Tsai also admitted having a role in Trans Merits’ transactions involving LED road lights and an oil pump, and using third parties to wire transfer funds to the United States.
The case was investigated by the FBI, ICE-HSI and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, with assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Assistant Attorney General Carlin would like to give special thanks to the Estonian Internal Security Service and the Estonian Prosecutor’s Office who cooperated with the United States. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes of the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Mr. Tsai and two of his companies were placed under U.S. sanctions in January 2009, with the U.S. Department of the Treasury saying at the time that he had, since the 1990s, supplied goods with weapons production capabilities to the premier North Korean arms dealer. Treasury targeted Trans Multi Mechanics with sanctions in 2013.
“These sanctions are meant to raise the cost for WMD proliferators to do business and deter others from proliferating by denying them access to our financial and commercial systems,” said John P. Carlin, assistant attorney general, in a statement.
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