North Carolina company owner pleads guilty over attempted technology sale to China

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The owner of a North Carolina company pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to trying to sell electronic devices that have military applications to China without having a required U.S. government license, authorities said.

David C. Bohmerwald, who was formally charged in October with violating the Export Control Reform Act and other portions of the federal code, entered the plea to a count before U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle in Raleigh. Bohmerwald, 63, has a tentative sentencing date for mid-May, court records show. He could face up to 20 years in prison, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.

Bohmerwald, the owner of Raleigh-based Components Cooper Inc., purchased 100 accelerometers from a U.S.-based electronic company, and then attempted to export the devices to a company in China, the release said, citing court documents and information presented in court.

An accelerometer, which measures the vibration, tilt and acceleration of a structure, can be used in aerospace and military applications, such as helping missiles fly more accurately and measuring the precise effect of munitions.

The electronics company notified law enforcement about Bohmerwald’s purchase request. After receiving the accelerometers, Bohmerwald dropped off two parcels -- one addressed to a business in China -- at a shipping store, the release said. A federal agent held the package and found the 100 accelerometers inside.

Bohmerwald falsely listed the value of the package’s content at $100, when the true value was nearly $20,000, according to the government, and he admitted to agents that he acquired the technology on behalf of a Chinese-based company while knowing about the export restrictions.

“The disruption of this scheme to illegally export sensitive technology means that accelerometers and other items will not be used by unauthorized individuals or for adversarial purposes,” said Cardell Morant, a special agent in charge who supervises Homeland Security Investigations, within the Department of Homeland Security, in the Carolinas.

Lawyers identified in court records as representing Bohmerwald in the case didn’t respond Friday to an email seeking comment.