Bay Area Man Illegally Shipped Missile Parts to Iran, U.S. Says
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SAN FRANCISCO — A businessman was charged Friday with illegally exporting missile and aircraft parts that allegedly were destined for Iran.
Ken Park, 40, of Los Altos Hills was accused by a federal grand jury of shipping parts of Sidewinder and Hawk missiles, target illuminators for Sparrow missiles and fire extinguishers used on F-14 fighter planes.
The six-count indictment does not name the destination of the parts. But in accompanying affidavits, U.S. Customs officials said some of the shipments were located last month in Singapore, awaiting delivery to Iran, and that Park’s company made about 50 exports to Iran over the last year.
The indictment says Park lacked valid export licenses for the weapons parts, could not have gotten them approved for export to Iran because of the U.S. arms embargo, and falsely stated that he was shipping truck and tractor parts.
The charges are punishable by 50 years in prison and $4.5 million in fines. Park was arrested Jan. 13 and is free on $250,000 bail, said U.S. Atty. Joseph Russoniello.
Park, also known as Kwan Park, owns Ellin International Co. in Sunnyvale, Russoniello said.
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