For only the second time under its updated voluntary self-disclosure program, the U.S. Justice Department decided not to prosecute Universities Space Research Association after the company self-disclosed criminal violations of U.S. export control laws committed by its former employee, Jonathan Soong. Soong was found guilty of exporting U.S. Army-developed aeronautics software to a Chinese university on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List and sentenced to 20 months in prison. The Justice Department’s decision was based on the company’s prompt self-disclosure, full cooperation with the investigation, and timely remediation efforts. The Justice Department emphasized that such corporate actions are crucial for protecting U.S. national security.
“If we stay vigilant, all of us — including our citizens, small businesses, and large corporations — can play a critical role in protecting our country,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “A criminal who compromised our national security was brought to justice because his employer caught him and immediately turned him in. We decline to prosecute his employer and are ready to work together with such responsible corporate actors who are committed to joining us in this fight to protect our country from foreign adversaries.”
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