The Office of Foreign Assets Control is adjusting its civil monetary penalties for inflation, the agency said in a notice. The new amounts include higher maximum penalties for violations of the Trading With the Enemy Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and the Clean Diamond Trade Act. The agency also updated two references to “one-half the IEEPA maximum CMP from $165,474 to $178,290” and adjusted the record-keeping CMPs in OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines. The changes take effect Jan. 13.

The Federal Maritime Commission is adjusting its civil monetary penalties for inflation, the agency said in a notice. The changes, effective Jan. 15, increase maximum penalties for various violations of U.S. shipping regulations, including illegal foreign shipping practices that have an “adverse impact” on U.S. carriers, “knowing and willful” violations of the Shipping Act,” and operating in foreign commerce after a tariff suspension.

Behrouz Mokhtari of McLean, Virginia, and Tehran pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to two conspiracies to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran "by engaging in business activities on behalf of Iranian entities" without getting a license from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, DOJ announced. Mokhtari will forfeit money, property and assets obtained from the schemes, including a Campbell, California, home, and a money judgment of over $2.8 million, DOJ said. The defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison for each of the two conspiracy counts.

The State Department is adjusting its civil monetary penalties for inflation, the agency said in a notice released Jan. 10. The new amounts, which include revised maximum penalties for violations of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Arms Export Control Act, will apply only to penalties assessed on or after Jan. 11, the agency said. For penalties adjusted “according to recent legislation,” the new amounts will apply only to penalties “assessed for violations occurring on or after December 27, 2022.”

The Bureau of Industry and Security on Jan. 5 revoked the export privileges of three people after they tried to illegally export guns and ammunition.

Arturo Carlos Murillo Prijic, former Bolivian minister of government, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiring to launder bribes he received for helping a U.S. firm win a contract from the Bolivian government, DOJ announced. Murillo pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (see 2210210024).

Xiaoqing Zheng of Niskayuna, New York, was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to steal trade secrets from General Electric with the intent to benefit China, DOJ announced. Zhen also was ordered to pay a $7,500 fine and serve one year of supervised release following his imprisonment.

The Commerce Department is adjusting its civil monetary penalties for inflation for 2023, the agency said in a notice. The change increases maximum civil monetary penalties for violations of the Export Controls Act of 2018 from $328,121 to $353,534, Commerce said. The rule is effective Jan. 15.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in a Dec. 22 opinion denied three Maryland men's post-trial motions seeking dismissal of their convictions, among other things, pertaining to their efforts to illegally export arms and ammunition to Nigeria. The court said Wilson Tita of Owings Mills, Eric Nji of Fort Washington and Wilson Fonguh of Bowie failed to prove that the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass'n v. Bruen rendered unconstitutional the defendants' conviction on a charge of transporting a firearm with an obliterated serial number (U.S. v. Wilson Nuyila Tita).

The Bureau of Industry and Security revoked the export privileges of two people this week after they tried to illegally export guns and ammunition.