Costa Mesa : Man Caught With Data for S. Africa Pleads Guilty
A man caught boarding a plane bound for South Africa with three cases of military technical manuals on behalf of a Costa Mesa aeronautics supply firm pleaded guilty Monday to violating the Arms Export Control Act.
Edward James Bush, 51, of Agoura pleaded guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to a one-count indictment charging him with trying to smuggle manuals for military fighter-bomber engine generators into South Africa.
Federal prosecutor Brian Hennigan said Bush agreed to cooperate with federal agents in their continuing investigation into violations of the Arms Export Control Act violations. His cooperation will be taken into account at Bush’s sentencing April 27, Hennigan said.
Bush faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1-million fine.
Bush was arrested Feb. 7 at Los Angeles International Airport after checking in for a flight to Argentina and then on to South Africa. He carried white boxes and a blue suitcase containing technical manuals for the engine generators of A-4 and F-16 aircraft, federal agents said.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Brian J. Hennigan said a “full confession” Bush made to the FBI led to the arrest of George M. Posey III, managing partner of Newport Aeronautical Sales in Costa Mesa, a firm specializing in selling non-classified military data to prospective government contractors.
Posey was indicted last week for alleged violations of the Arms Export Control Act and was freed on $500,000 bond. U.S. Atty. Robert C. Bonner said Posey’s indictment marked the first time anyone had been charged with violating the Anti-Apartheid Act, which prohibits trading in munitions with South Africa.
Prosecutors said Posey took orders from various people, including a naval attache in the South African Embassy in Washington, to ship items on the U.S. Munitions List to Argentina and then South Africa.
Posey allegedly took and filled the orders for equipment, then arranged and paid for Bush to fly to South Africa to deliver the manuals.
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