Weapon smuggler’s sentence upheld

SAN FRANCISCO — The Ninth Circuit upheld a California federal court’s sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to conspiring to export night-vision and thermal-vision rifle scopes to Russia, then laundered the proceeds through a network of offshore banks. His counsel did not render constitutionally deficient assistance as he argued, and the Department of State did not exceeds its authority under the Arms Export Control Act when it issued the conspiracy regulation under which he was convicted.Read the ruling here.Read our prior coverage of the sentencing here.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads