Tungsten Parts Wyoming’s building on Venture Drive in Laramie.
Tungsten Parts Wyoming’s building on Venture Drive in Laramie.
The former owner and CEO of a Laramie business has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to United States export laws.
Joe Sery, the former owner and CEO of California-based Tungsten Heavy Powder & Parts, admitted June 9 to charges of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, the exportation of defense articles without a license and aiding and abetting others to do the same, a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says.
The charges were brought against Sery, 77, and his brother, Dror Sery, 70, in March. Joe Sery, who is from San Diego, opened Tungsten Parts Wyoming in Laramie in 2016 as a satellite location for THPP, according to a previous Boomerang report.
Tungsten Parts makes tungsten and other metal parts for the military and companies with defense contracts like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Joe Sery is no longer associated with the company. Dror Sery is a foreign national and was believed to be a fugitive of the U.S. government living in Israel at the time of Joe Sery’s arrest in March, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
The latest news release from ICE did not provide any updates on Dror Sery’s whereabouts.
Joe and Dror Sery were accused of exporting materials to the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India and other countries without permission from the federal government. The exported materials included defense items listed in the U.S. Munitions List, according to the initial DOJ allegations, which listed all defense materials that require export licenses.
The brothers knew they were acting against federal law, according to the DOJ, and they communicated through an email address not associated with THPP.
No other employees at the company’s Laramie location were involved in the criminal activity.
Joe Sery was also charged with criminal forfeiture, meaning he will have to forfeit all property, assets and proceeds that resulted from criminal activity.
Joe Sery faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, according to the DOJ news release. Information on Sery’s sentencing was not provided in the ICE news release.
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