AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Rocket Scientist Found Guilty: Ronald J. Hoffman, a rocket scientist employed by Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), was found guilty after a two-month trial of illegally exporting military technology to South Africa and Japan and failing to register as an arms exporter. Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen Mansfield said evidence showed that Hoffman, a 52-year-old Los Angeles resident, exported computer software used to predict rocket exhaust plumes in space, a multimillion-dollar technology used in the Strategic Defense Initiative. The illegal exports allegedly occurred from Hoffman’s own company, Plum Technology Inc. Hoffman will be sentenced on April 13 and faces a maximum prison sentence of 96 years and a fine of $8.5 million.
