Indonesian Man Convicted of Conspiring to Violate the Arms Export Control Act

Madison, Wisconsin—Erik C. Peterson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Doli Sharief Pulungan, D.O.B. unknown, a citizen of Indonesia, was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act yesterday following a two-day jury trial in federal court in Madison.

U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb scheduled sentencing for July 28, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. Pulungan faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.

The evidence at trial established that Pulungan was a member of an international conspiracy to illegally export 100 Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T Riflescopes out of the United States. The tactical riflescopes have infrared capability and are designed to attach to M-16 and AR-15 assault rifles. The State Department has classified the riflescopes as "defense articles" under the Arms Export Control Act and they are therefore subject to the export regulations in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

The evidence also established that Pulungan took steps to try and further the conspiracy here in the Western District of Wisconsin, specifically in the Cashton, Wis. area. On July 31, 2007, defendant sent an e-mail from Indonesia to a business associate in Cashton and instructed him to order 100 Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T Riflescopes for the defendant. Pulugan asked this person to have the scopes shipped temporarily to the person's home in the Western District of Wisconsin, for later shipment overseas. Pulungan also asked this person not to tell the company that the items were going to Indonesia.

When that business associate refused to assist him, Pulungan approached a second individual in the Cashton area while the defendant was visiting the United States on September 26, 2007. Pulungan asked the individual to purchase 100 Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T Riflescopes and ship them to Saudi Arabia, where the defendant would later have them shipped to Indonesia. In exchange for this individual's assistance, Pulungan offered to pay him $100,000, which was $30,000 more than the cost of the scopes themselves.

After the encounter with Pulungan, the individual contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On September 27, 2007, the FBI interviewed the defendant. Pulungan provided a variety of different reasons for wanting the scopes. Pulungan was traveling with two Indonesian passports with different dates of birth. His real date of birth has not yet been determined.

The charges against defendant were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin.

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