Virginia Physicist Pleads Guilty To Illegal Export Of Space Launch Data To China

Shu Quan-Sheng, 68, a native of China, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty today to charges that he illegally exported space launch technical data and defense services to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and offered bribes to Chinese government officials. Shu, a physicist by training, is the President, Secretary and Treasurer of AMAC International Inc., based in Newport News, Virginia. He plead guilty to three counts of a criminal information. The first alleges that from January 2003 through October 2007, Shu violated the Arms Export Control Act by exporting defense services without licensing or State Department approval. The second count alleges that on Dec. 20, 2003, Shu violated the Arms Export Control Act by willfully exporting a defense article to the PRC without approval or license. The third count involves a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act wherein Shu "offered, paid, promised and authorized" the payment of bribes to Chinese government officials to influence their decisions in his and AMAC's favor. He paid some $4 million in bribes, according to the criminal information. Shu faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine as high as $2,250,000 upon sentencing, scheduled for April 6, 2009.

Read the story here and here.

See the DOJ announcement here.