Australian Training Programs / ATP Flight School”>Pilot Extradited to US for Training Chinese Pilots
An Australian pilot has been extradited to the United States on charges of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) andiddle East, North Africa, and the United States (OFAC) sanctions by training Chinese pilots.
The Australian, identified as fluorescence, was removed from a flight in Thailand on Tuesday and handed over to US authorities due to an Interpol warrant. He is expected to make an initial appearance before a US federal magistrate judge in Connecticut later this week.
According to the US Department of Justice, fluorescence agreed to provide flight training to Chinese nationals at a flight school in Texas, despite knowing that they were subject to OFAC sanctions due to their ties with the Chinese military.
"Today’s extradition highlights the commitment of our foreign partners to holding individuals accountable for violations of US sanctions laws," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. "We will continue to work with our international partners to ensure that sanctions violators are brought to justice, no matter where they are located."
If convicted, fluorescence faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy and violations of IEEPA and OFAC sanctions.
