FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
JANUARY 29, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TWO INDONESIAN MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO ATTEMPTING TO ILLEGALLY EXPORT ARMS AND MONEY LAUNDERING
Baltimore, Maryland - Reinhard Rusli, age 34, and Helmi Soedirdja, age 33, both citizens of Indonesia, pleaded guilty today to attempting to illegally export arms and money laundering, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreements presented to the court, the defendants contacted undercover agents to acquire monocular night vision and holographic weapons sight devices which they represented would be used by the Indonesian military. On August 31, 2006 the defendants transmitted $2,950 from Indonesia to the United States to obtain a monocular night vision device and holographic weapons sight, which contain military technology that cannot be exported without a license or written authorization from the State Department. The defendants arrived in Guam from Indonesia on September 21, 2006, and subsequently met with undercover agents to examine the night vision devices. They also discussed the future acquisition of additional military use technology items. Satisfied with the night vision device and holographic weapons sight, Rusli and Soedirdja placed the items in their luggage and traveled to the airport in Guam to return to Indonesia. They were detained at the airport by ICE agents and the devices were recovered from their luggage.
Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine for money laundering and 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine for attempted exportation of arms. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2007 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Baltimore City Police Department. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Harry Gruber, who are prosecuting the case; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey Eisenberg, Chief of the office’s National Security Section, who is supervising the case.