Man Charged With Sending Nuclear Material From Andover To Iran
BOSTON (CBS) — A suspect accused of shipping goods from Massachusetts to help build up Iran's nuclear weapons program landed at Logan Airport Friday. He goes by different first names, including Sihai and Alex Cheng. He's set to face a federal judge in Boston Monday.
Cheng, who's a Chinese national, worked at the Shanghai branch of MKS. Prosecutors say he provided false information to the company's headquarters in Andover, to get exporting licenses for thousands of pieces of equipment to be sent to China, and then to Iran.
The main item is called a pressure transducer, which can be used in uranium enrichment for nuclear weapons.
Cheng faces illegal exporting and smuggling charges, which carry a maximum possible 35 years in federal prison if he's convicted.
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