Peter Sotis and an associate were sentenced by a Florida court for conspiring to and illegally attempting to export controlled items to Libya.
Sotis was the 80% owner of Add Helium, a diving equipment and training company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
The charges stem from the defendants’ scheme to cause the illegal export of rebreather diving equipment to Libya in August 2016.
If rebreathers are to be exported to any countries with national security concerns, such as Libya, it requires a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce
The defendants were warned that it was illegal to export the items to Libya without a DOC license and they willfully attempted to export (DOC) but nonetheless carried on with the attempt.
Testimony at trial also showed that Sotis threatened a government witness not to cooperate with the federal investigation.
Sources
US Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs