Lebanese National Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Illegally Exporting Drone Parts and Technology

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald for the District of Minnesota today announced the sentencing of Usama Darwich Hamade, 55, to 42 months in prison, for conspiring to illegally export goods and technology in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Export Administration Regulations, the Arms Export Control Act, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The sentence was handed down by Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn. 

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, from 2009 through 2011, Hamade conspired with others to export U.S. origin goods and technology including inertial measurement units suitable for use in uncrewed aerial vehicles, or “UAVs,” digital compasses suitable for UAV use, a jet engine, piston engines, and recording binoculars, without obtaining the required export licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of State, in violation of IEEPA, the Export Administration Regulations, the Arms Export Control Act, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. According to evidence presented by the government, the ultimate beneficiary of Hamade’s actions was the designated foreign terrorist organization Hizballah.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Docherty and David MacLaughlin and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division.