Avon Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Exporting Defense Items to South Korea

The Avon Lake man charged with illegally shipping components used in infrared rifle scopes to South Korea, pleaded guilty Jan. 20 and will be sentenced on April 14 in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio.

Kue Sang Chun, 66, who lives on Treeside Lane, was charged with with one count of exporting defense articles on The United States Munitions List without first obtaining an export license or written authorization from the U.S. State Department, and one count of filing a false federal income tax return.

He pleaded guilty to both counts.

Chun, a Korean born United States citizen, was charged on Jan. 10. His passport was turned in to the federal court the following day.  

In a Jan. 10  U.S. Department of Justice press release, Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said Chun, was charged with violating regulations designed to protect national security.

"He did it for money and, according to the charges, he intentionally failed to pay taxes on the money he made from his crimes," Dettelbach said in the release.

 Chun is a former NASA employee. He is not accused of taking technology or related materials from there.

Law enforcement officials say that between March 2000 and November 2005, Chun  exported infrared focal plane array detectors and infrared camera engines to South Korea. The items are designated as defense articles on the United States Munitions List. 

A second count charges Chun with filing a false U.S individual income tax return for  2005.  Law enforcement officials say Chun failed to report about $83,400 of taxable income he earned that tax year.

 He could face up to 13 years in prison.