A Belgian man has been arrested and charged with involvement in a multi-year smuggling scheme to export military electronics from the United States to Russia and China.
On December 5, Belgian law enforcement authorities detained Hans Maria de Hetere, 61, and five other people for questioning. The U.S. Department of Justice also released two indictments accusing De Hetere and others of illegally exporting millions of dollars worth of U.S.-made electronic equipment used in missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Vehicles, electronic warfare receivers, military radar – to Chinese and Russian organizations.
The U.S. Departments of Commerce and Treasury also placed De Goetere and his businesses (Knokke-Heist Support Management Corporation and European Trading Technologies BV) on the BIS Entity List for Transferring Illegal Weapons Technology and OFAC. Added to the list of specially designated and blocked persons.
Coordinated international action “demonstrates our determination to cut off the flow of critical U.S. electronics to China.” [People’s Republic of China] and Russia,” Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement, declared in a statement.
According to one of the indictments filed in a Texas court, between March 2016 and February 2018, De Gietere and a Florida man, Eddie Johan Koopmans, 62, conspired to export controlled exports. FPGA circuits and shortwave infrared monitoring equipment were smuggled into Russia. (SWIR) Camera to China.
The two allegedly wired more than $1.2 million in total to individuals they believed had access to the devices and took steps to cover their tracks.
“For example, they made false and misleading statements against legitimate companies that sold FPGA circuits and SWIR cameras,” court documents say. [PDF] state. “Additionally, Defendants made false and misleading statements to government officials regulating the export of FPGA circuits and SWIR cameras.”
Koopmans pleaded guilty to conspiracy in October 2022 and is awaiting sentencing.
A separate indictment filed in Oregon state court alleges that between April 2021 and August 2023, De Gietere attempted to illegally procure accelerometers for export to China. The equipment is valued at more than $930,000 and “plays a critical role in structural testing and monitoring, including impact survival testing, flight control systems, weapons and aircraft navigation systems, active vibration damping, and stability,” according to court documents. , and other systems.” [PDF].
As part of this scheme, De Hetere falsely claimed that the end users were European organizations, including Flemish government agencies. “In fact, as Mr. De Gietere knew at the time, he intended to re-export the accelerometers to China, including to Hong Kong,” court documents allege.
In the Texas indictment, De Gietere is charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is also charged in Oregon with three counts of making false statements and one count of smuggling goods.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy to smuggle goods and making false statements, 10 years for conspiracy to smuggle goods, and 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering. ®