The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) today announced that the Stoelting Company of Wood Dale, Illinois, and its president, LaVern Miller, were sentenced in connection with criminal violations of the Export Administration Act for illegally exporting polygraph machines to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Between January 1998 and February 1999, Stoelting, under Miller’s direction, knowingly exported and attempted to export polygraph equipment to the PRC without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce.

"BIS vigorously enforces U.S. export controls on crime control equipment that could be used to violate basic human rights," said Wendy Wysong, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement.

Miller was sentenced to two and half years probation, including six months of electronically monitored home confinement, 500 hours community service and a criminal fine equivalent to the costs of probation and electronic monitoring, estimated to be $18,000. The Stoelting Company was sentenced to two and a half years corporate probation and a $20,000 criminal fine.

The Department of Commerce announced in June 2004 that Stoelting agreed to a $44,000 civil penalty and a five-year denial of export privileges to settle administrative charges in this case. The denial of export privileges was suspended provided that Stoelting does not violate the EAR during the five-year period. LaVern Miller also agreed to pay a $44,000 civil penalty to settle related administrative charges (see press release dated June 8, 2004).

The BIS Office of Export Enforcement enforces export control and related public safety laws to advance U.S. national security, foreign policy and economic interests.

Acting Assistant Secretary Wysong commended the Special Agents of the Chicago Field Office of the Office of Export Enforcement for their work on this investigation.