A Chinese government intelligence officer was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for espionage crimes and attempting to steal trade secrets from a Cincinnati aviation company. The Department of Justice said it was the first Chinese government intelligence officer ever to be extradited to the United States to stand trial.
Yanjun Xu, 42, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. According to court documents, Xu targeted American aviation companies, recruited employees to travel to China and solicited their proprietary information, all on behalf of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Justice Department and the FBI of course are involved in other grave national security matters that if or when indictments come won’t require extradition of the alleged offender and co-conspirators from Mar-a Lago or other US locations. Continue reading
DOT Imposes Millions in Airline Fines for Cancellations. Paltry Penalties for an Abundance of Abuses
The US Department of Transportation has imposed what it claims are historic enforcement actions against six airlines, which collectively paid more than half a billion dollars to people who were owed a refund due to a canceled or significantly changed flights. More than $600 million in refunds were returned to airline passengers under DOT rules backed by the unusual enforcement actions.
In a mumbled ‘two cheers for US flag carriers,’ only one US airline was fined – Frontier. Collectively, six airlines were only fined $7.25 million in total much to the dismay of the many consumer groups critical of airline practices. Frontier at a $2.2 million penalty paid the largest fine. Continue reading →