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Feds allege Ontario man smuggled weapons to North Korea
VOL. 8,
Court clerk who mishandled documents has case reduced to misdemeanor
By Joe Taglieri
F
ederal authorities arrested an Ontario resident Tuesday for allegedly shipped large quantities of weapons to North Korea for use in a "surprise attack on South Korea," officials announced Tuesday. Shenghua Wen, a 41-yearold Chinese national, and his co-conspirators exported at least two shipments of guns and ammunition to North Korea in 2023 by hiding the items inside shipping containers out of Long Beach through Hong Kong and on to North Korea, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court. "It is essential that we protect our country from hostile foreign states that have adverse interests to our nation," Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement. "We have arrested a defendant who allegedly acted at the direction of the North Korean government by conspiring to illegally ship firearms, ammunition and other military equipment to North Korea." On Aug. 14, federal agents seized a chemical threat identification device and a handheld receiver that eavesdrops on transmissions from Wen's home, the U.S. Attorney's office reported. Wen admitted he obtained the items to send to the North Korean government for military purposes. Wen, who allegedly remained in the U.S. illegally on an expired student visa issued in 2012, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency
By City News Service
joet@beaconmedianews.com
O
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announces charges against an Ontario resident for allegedly smuggling weapons to North Korea in violation of federal law. | Photo courtesy of US Attorney L.A./X
Economic Powers Act, a felony with a possible 20-year prison sentence. At his initial court appearance Tuesday in downtown LA, a judge ordered Wen
but they gathered valuable intelligence for the United States and our allies." According to court documents, Wen violated federal law and U.S. sanctions against
Authorities displayed these weapons and military items connected with the alleged smuggling scheme by a Chinese national living in Ontario. | Photo courtesy of US Attorney L.A./X
detained. His arraignment was scheduled for Jan. 7. "The significance of this arrest and discovery of this scheme cannot be overstated," Akil Davis, the FBI's Los Angeles assistant director in charge, said at a news conference. "Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items going to the North Korean regime,
North Korea by obtaining firearms, ammunition and export-controlled technology with the intention of illegally exporting them. On Sept. 6 investigators confiscated approximately 50,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition that Wen allegedly intended to ship to North Korea. "In light of the extraordinary threat North Korea
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poses, there must be approval from the U.S. government to ship such items to North Korea," Estrada said during the news conference. He added that North Korea schemed "to circumvent those restrictions." Before Wen left China to travel to the U.S., he and North Korean government representatives planned the scheme. Wen then received at least $2 million from North Korea to pay for materials and shipping costs, Estrada said. In the U.S., Wen purchased a business to obtain weapons and other items to export to North Korea, prosecutors said. Those items included military uniforms "to help conduct a surprise attack on South Korea," Estrada said Wen was told. From January to April, Wen sent emails and text messages to a U.S.-based broker about acquiring a civilian plane engine, prosecutors said. There also were several text messages on Wen's mobile phone about price negotiation for the plane and its engine.
ne of two former Riverside County Superior Court clerks who mishandled privileged information connected to a criminal case received a sentence without any punitive measures, it was confirmed Wednesday. The case against Angela Franz, 48, of Thousand Palms was officially closed Monday when Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Gunn certified a plea agreement that the defendant made straight to the court in October, when Franz admitted
a charge of conspiracy. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office formally objected to the court plea, which resulted in "terminal disposition" — no probation, community service or other requirements imposed on the defendant. Franz's co-defendant, 59-year-old Michelle Valdez of Thousand Palms, is expected to receive the same terms when she's sentenced on Jan. 22 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Valdez admitted the conspiracy charge under a
See Court clerk Page 27
UC Riverside creates new type of drought-resistance grass By City News Service
U
C Riverside's Office of Technology Partnerships, in collaboration with a Riverside County sod company, has patented and created a drought-resistant grass cultivar in hopes to commercialize it for all of Southern California's homeowners. A new type of hybrid Bermuda grass cultivar called Coachella was created by UCR's Turfgrass Breeding program as it aims to be the dominant turf for Southern California. "Coachella is the first See Grass Page 14
bermuda grass to come from our recently resurrected turfgrass breeding program that exhibits our targeted traits of improved winter color retention, exemplary drought resistance above and beyond most existing bermudagrass cultivars and, of course, exceptional quality characteristics," Jim Baird, UCR professor and cooperative extension specialist, said in a statement last week. UCR's agricultural operations field displays and tests the only available batch of Coachella until their