Russian arms dealer’s partner in trouble in US
16 Dec 2013 4:08 AM IST
A US-Syrian citizen has been convicted of conspiring with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to purchase commercial aircraft in violation of American sanctions.
A federal jury in New York on Friday found Richard Ammar Chichakli guilty of one count of violating US sanctions, one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of wire fraud conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud.
Chichakli, who was arrested in Australia in January and extradited to the United States in May, faces up to five years in prison on the sanctions count and a maximum of 20 years for each of the other eight counts. He is due to be sentenced on 14 March.
Prosecutors say Bout and Chichakli sought to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by illegally purchasing commercial planes for a company they controlled in the United States and ferrying those aircraft to Tajikistan.
Both men at the time had already been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department, and therefore individuals and businesses in the United States were barred from engaging in financial transactions with them.
A federal jury in New York on Friday found Richard Ammar Chichakli guilty of one count of violating US sanctions, one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of wire fraud conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud.
Chichakli, who was arrested in Australia in January and extradited to the United States in May, faces up to five years in prison on the sanctions count and a maximum of 20 years for each of the other eight counts. He is due to be sentenced on 14 March.
Prosecutors say Bout and Chichakli sought to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by illegally purchasing commercial planes for a company they controlled in the United States and ferrying those aircraft to Tajikistan.
Both men at the time had already been blacklisted by the US Treasury Department, and therefore individuals and businesses in the United States were barred from engaging in financial transactions with them.
Next Story
