Carolina Man Guilty in Guidance Component Scheme

The owner of a Raleigh, North Carolina electronics resale business, pleaded guilty to attempting to export accelerometer technology with military applications to China without a license. 

David C. Bohmerwald, 63, the owner of "Components Cooper, Inc" faces a mazimum sentance of 20 years in prison for  violations of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA). 

According to court documents, Bohmerwald purchased 100 accelerometers from a U.S.-based electronics company, intending to export them to a Chinese business. Accelerometers have diverse applications, including research, product development, and defense. In military use, they are critical for structural testing, monitoring, flight control, and navigation systems. The technology enhances missile performance and assesses the impact of munitions. Due to these capabilities, exporting accelerometers to China requires a license.

Authorities were alerted when the U.S. electronics company found Bohmerwald’s purchase suspicious. He falsely claimed the devices were for an end user in Missouri. Upon investigation, federal agents confirmed that the Missouri company had no pending orders with Bohmerwald or Components Cooper Inc.

After receiving the accelerometers, Bohmerwald dropped two parcels at a FedEx shipping store, one addressed to a Chinese business. A Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) agent detained the package and confirmed the absence of the required export license. Additionally, Bohmerwald misrepresented the package’s value as $100, whereas its actual value was nearly $20,000. When questioned, Bohmerwald admitted to procuring the technology for a Chinese company, fully aware of its export-controlled status and licensing requirements.

The announcement was made by Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, John Sonderman, performing the non-exclusive duties of the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at BIS, and U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

The investigation was conducted by BIS, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations. Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Brendan Geary of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

This case was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement initiative co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce.