Saturday, January 15, 2011

Anna Fermanova Guilty in Smuggling Case - Updated



Anna Fermanova

On Friday, 24-year-old Latvian-American woman Anna Fermanova pleaded guilty to the attempted smuggling of night-vision sniper scopes to Russia.

She faces a possible 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 29.

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Babe Accused of Smuggling Night-Vision Scopes
[Previous 7/28/10 post]
(New York City) A 24-year-old Texas woman, Anna Fermanova, has been accused by federal authorities of trying to smuggle night-vision scopes to Russia.

Fermanova lives in the Dallas TX suburb of Plano. Her family immigrated to the U.S. when she was nine years old.

According to a federal affidavit, Fermanova tried to smuggle three night-vision rifle scopes to Russia in March without obtaining the proper export license.
The devices were seized as Fermanova was boarding a plane for Moscow at JFK International Airport, according to the document.

She was allowed to complete the trip but was arrested after her return on a charge of attempting to export US munitions.


Anna Fermanova


On July 15, the feds finally picked her up.
The federal affidavit states that Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel are investigating Fermanova and others for attempting to export US military commodities to Russia without the proper licences.

The affidavit details how agents found the scopes in Fermanova's luggage on March 1. Some identification markings on the devices were covered with black marker pen, according to the document.

Fermanova told the agents she covered the markings "so they would be less noticeable" when she tried to take them overseas without a licence, the affidavit states.
Latvian-born Fermanova said the scopes would be used for hunting. Her lawyer, Scott Palmer, said, “She is quite sexy, you could say, but she is not a spy.”

Fermanova was booked into custody and released on $50,000 bail.

Companion post at TJR.

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