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Defendant Name, Crime, State Year
Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, a former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged by criminal complaint for providing, and conspiring to provide, unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
As an Air Force officer, Brown took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies foreign and domestic. He allegedly broke that oath and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies, said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Brown, also known by the call sign “Runner,” is expected to have his initial appearance tomorrow, February 26, before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana.
The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots, said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
Gerald Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with decades of experience flying U.S. military aircraft, allegedly betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect, said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.
According to the complaint, since August 2023, Brown willfully conspired with foreign nationals to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force, known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training was a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Brown lacked the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to provide that training to foreign persons or foreign military units.
Brown served for more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired in 1996 with the rank of Major. During his military career, Brown commanded sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor on a variety of fighter and attack aircraft, including the F-4 “Phantom II,” F-15 “Eagle,” F-16 “Fighting Falcon,” and the A-10 “Thunderbolt II” (Warthog).
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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