Where Industry and Security Intersect
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The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it has denied the export privileges to India of Optical Associates, Inc. of Milpitas, California for the illegal export of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to India. Optical Associates also received a criminal fine of $100,000 and was placed on two years probation by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
On March 7, 2001, Optical Associates pled guilty in district court to illegally exporting the equipment to the Bhaba Atomic Research Center, a division of India's Department of Atomic Energy, without the required Department of Commerce license. On March 15, 2001, the Department of Commerce denied Optical Associates its U.S. export privileges to India for three years.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, Lisa A. Prager, commended Assistant United States Attorney David Anderson for his work on the case. The Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement San Jose, California field office investigated the case.
The Department of Commerce, through its Bureau of Export Administration, administers and enforces export controls for reasons of national security, foreign policy, nonproliferation and short supply. Criminal penalties and administrative sanctions can be imposed for violations of the Export Administration Regulations.
In April of 2002 the Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) changed its name to the Bureau of Industry and Security(BIS). For historical purposes we have not changed the references to BXA in the legacy documents found in the Archived Press and Public Information.