WA man pleads guilty in arms export case

SEATTLE – A Washington state man accused of trying to sell sensitive military and aerospace technology to China has pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act.

Federal prosecutors allege that Lian Yang of Woodinville tried to export 300 semiconductors that the U.S. government has said have no purpose outside of military or aerospace use.

The Seattle Times says Yang was arrested in December after he reportedly offered to purchase the radiation-hardened semiconductors used by the military in satellites for $700,000 from undercover FBI agents.

A federal complaint says he and unidentified co-conspirators deposited a $60,000 down payment in an account set up by the agents. He was arrested in a sting as he was dropping off a $20,000 payment.

Yang entered his plea Thursday in federal court in Seattle. Sentencing is set for June 30.