Harold Rinko, 74, of Hallstead, Pennsylvania, and Ahmad Feras Diri, 43, of London, United Kingdom, were sentenced in a federal conspiracy to illegally export high-risk U.S.-made goods to Syria, violating strict international sanctions. The operation, which spanned multiple countries and involved falsified shipping documents, was dismantled after a multi-agency investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Commerce.
Diri, sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton, received 37 months in prison, a $100 special assessment, and was ordered to forfeit $45,698. Arrested in London on March 14, 2013, Diri was extradited to face charges in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He admitted to orchestrating the shipment of restricted items through third-party nations to conceal their final destination.
Rinko, who operated an export business in Hallstead, was sentenced on October 13, 2016, to time served, 12 months of home confinement, a $2,600 fine, two years of supervised release, and the same $45,698 forfeiture. Together, Rinko and Diri conspired with Moawea Deri, a Syrian national who remains a fugitive, to bypass U.S. export controls using shell transactions and mislabeled cargo.
The smuggled goods included a portable multi-gas scanner capable of detecting chemical warfare agents—nerve, blood, and lung agents—via a sensitive ion mobility spectrometer. According to court communications, the device was marketed and shipped under false pretenses, disguised as commercial electronics and routed through Jordan, the UAE, and the United Kingdom before reaching Syria.
Brian Michael, acting special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia, stated, “HSI’s counter proliferation measures are in place to safeguard our borders and defend our interests across the world. The defendant’s willful circumvention of those interests is inexcusable and today’s sentencing is an example of the significant repercussions for such action.”
Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in New York, praised international cooperation: “This case demonstrates the outstanding collaboration among law enforcement agencies… We will continue to pursue violators of our nation’s export control laws wherever they are located.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley and Heather Alpino of the DOJ’s National Security Division.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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