A federal jury in Knoxville on Wednesday convicted retired University of Tennessee professor Dr. J. Reece Roth of arms export charges.
After a seven-day trial, he was found guilty of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act together with 15 separate illegal exports of military technical information relating to plasma technology designed to be deployed on the wings of drones operating as a weapons or surveillance systems.
The Arms Export Control Act prohibits the export of defense-related materials, including the technical data, to a foreign national or a foreign nation. The illegal arms control exports by Roth were related to technical data and information that was developed through a U.S. Air Force research and development contract to develop this advanced form of a drone.
Roth was also convicted of one count of wire fraud relating to defrauding the University of Tennessee of the honest services by illegally exporting sensitive military information relating to the U.S. Air Force contract.
Roth was convicted of conspiring with Atmospheric Glow Technology, Inc., a Knoxville technology company, with unlawfully exporting in 2005 and 2006 15 different “defense articles” to a citizen of the People’s Republic of China in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
The law prohibits the export of defense-related materials, including the technical data, to a foreign national or a foreign nation.
The illegal exports by Roth related to technical data and information that was developed through a U.S. Air Force research and development contract, authorities said.
The maximum punishment for the conspiracy conviction is five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty for each of the Arms Export Control Act offenses is 10 years imprisonment, a criminal fine of $1,000,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $100 for each offense.
Roth’s sentencing has been set for Jan. 7, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in United States District Court in Knoxville.
Patrick Rowan, acting assistant attorney general for National Security, said, "Today's guilty verdict should serve as a warning to anyone who knowingly discloses restricted U.S. military data to foreign nationals. The illegal export of such sensitive data represents a very real threat to our national security, particularly when we know that foreign governments are actively seeking this information for their military development.
United States Attorney Russ Dedrick said, "The strict enforcement of the export technology laws protects our country and its citizens. This verdict, by a jury of Dr. Roth’s peers, demonstrates that our citizens and the United States will not tolerate such intentional conduct to undermine the security and the economy of our country. Our scientific and educational communities must take precautions to insure that technology and research are protected, when required, from disclosure to foreign governments.”
U.S. Attorney Dedrick praised the efforts of the investigative agencies, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Will Mackie and Jeff Theodore for their work on the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The indictment was the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI, the United States Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Commerce Export Enforcement.