Chinese man sentenced in San Diego for smuggling restricted US military equipment

Chinese man sentenced in military smuggling case

SAN DIEGO — A Chinese man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for trying to smuggle restricted U.S. military equipment to his native Macau.

City News Service reported a federal judge in San Diego handed down the sentence Monday for Chi Tong Kuok.

Kuok was convicted in May of conspiracy, money, laundering, smuggling and attempting to export defense articles without a license.

Prosecutors say Kuok tried to buy and smuggle communications, encryption and GPS equipment used by the United States and NATO militaries.

According to court documents, Kuok contacted a British company in 2006 and tried to obtain items made by a Carlsbad defense contractor. U.S. authorities were notified and set up a two-year sting investigation.

He was arrested in June 2009.