Washington, DC [US] August 21 : A Chinese citizen who exceeded the duration of his student visa has received an eight-year prison sentence for unlawfully exporting ammunition and various military supplies to North Korea via China, as reported by The Epoch Times (TET).
Shenghua Wen, 42, residing in Ontario, California, was sentenced to 96 months in a federal penitentiary by US District Judge Stephen V. Wilson in Los Angeles on August 18, as announced by the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.
Wen has been in federal custody since last December, following his arrest at his home in Ontario. He pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and another count related to acting as an unauthorised agent for a foreign government, according to TET.
The US Attorney's Office elaborated on Wen's operation, which started before he arrived in the United States. Wen entered the US with a student visa in 2012 but stayed beyond its expiration date in December 2013.
Before his arrival, Wen had met with North Korean officials at their embassy in China, where he received directives to acquire goods for the regime.
After being approached by two North Korean officials in 2022, Wen commenced shipping firearms and other items from the Port of Long Beach in 2023. He disguised these shipments through methods such as submitting false export documentation.
In 2023, Wen managed to ship at least three containers containing firearms. One shipment reached Hong Kong in January 2024 before it was forwarded to Nampo, North Korea, according to the TET report.
In September 2024, Wen ordered around 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition meant for delivery to North Korea. In total, North Korean officials transferred approximately USD 2 million to Wen for the acquisition of firearms and other materials for their government.
In a sentencing memorandum submitted by prosecutors in early August, Wen obscured the financial transaction from North Korean officials by routing the funds from a bank in China to Hong Kong and later depositing them into his girlfriend's accounts. Wen also sought to obtain a thermal imaging system designed for reconnaissance and target identification, capable of being mounted on drones, helicopters, and various aircraft, as stated in the court document, TET reported.
Additionally, North Korean representatives requested that Wen source US civilian aircraft engines to progress Pyongyang's military drone capabilities, according to prosecutors.
Wen was also tasked with procuring military uniforms intended for a potential "surprise attack on South Korea," as outlined in the court document.
"Once in the United States, the defendant operated with a high level of sophistication, evidenced by the complex criminal scheme he devised and the operational security he utilised to conceal his unlawful activities," the court document states. Prosecutors urged the judge to impose a 63-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the TET report.
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