03-24-2009

Terror Suspects Plead Guilty

The last of three men has pleaded guilty to his role in a plot to illegally export weapons materials to China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Fifty-year-old Jian Wei Ding of Singapore pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to one count of conspiracy to violate export regulations. Two others entered guilty pleas over the past few weeks.

According to their plea agreements, Ding and his co-defendants admitted that from March 23, 2007, through April 6, 2008, they conspired to violate export regulations by exporting and attempting to export high-modulus carbon-fiber material without an export license.

The carbon-fiber material is used in rockets, satellites, spacecraft and uranium enrichment.

The men face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a ma