International Network Charged with Illegally Procuring Critical Technology for China and Russia, Faces New Sanctions

Belgian national Hans Maria De Geetere has been charged with crimes related to a scheme to illegally export sensitive, military-grade technology from the United States to end users in China and Russia. De Geetere and his companies have been added to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Entity List and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated and Blocked Person (SDN) List. The charges include conspiring to smuggle goods, conspiring to launder funds, making false statements, and smuggling goods. The case was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force aimed at preventing critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.