ERAI Blog

Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Exporting Radiation-Hardened ICs to China and Russia

Kristal Snider
ERAI, Inc.

From June 2015 through March 2016 Peter Zuccarelli, doing business as American Coating Technologies, willfully exported without the required export license the following Radiation Hardened Integrated Circuits (RHICs):

UT8MR8M8-50XTC - Aeroflex
XQR4VSX55-10CF1140V - Xilinx

According to records obtained from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, Zuccarelli, an unnamed co-conspirator identified as “SR” and others willfully agreed to smuggle the parts from the United States to China and Russia.

Co-conspirator “SR”, a naturalized citizen of the United States who was born in Pakistan, arranged for $1,575,983.00 to be placed into a bank account belonging to Peter Zuccarelli for the purchase of the RHICs and instructed Zuccarelli on how to conceal the illegal exports. Zuccarelli purchased the parts, which could be used in applications such as space exploration or guiding ballistic missiles, from U.S. suppliers and falsely claimed his company, American Coating Technologies, was the end user. Upon receipt, Zuccarelli removed the RHICs from their original packaging, repackaged the parts and shipped them out of the United States accompanied with falsified documentation declaring the RHICs were “touch screen parts”.

On August 3, 2017 Peter Zuccarelli pleaded guilty to his role in the crime and is currently awaiting sentencing. He faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Peter Zuccarelli and his wife Antionette Zuccarelli (aka Anette Zuccarelli) have been identified as the owners and/or managing partners of numerous businesses including, but not limited to:

American TF Coating Technologies LLC
   AKA: ACT
   AKA: American Coating Technologies LLC

Coating Advanced Technologies LLC
   AKA: Optocoat LLC
    FKA: Dallas Photonics Inc.
    FKA: Optocoat LLC
    FKA: Optomart Inc.
    FKA: Optotec LLC
    FKA: Optovac Incorporated
    FKA: Optovision Coating Labs Inc.
    FKA: Optovision Technologies Inc.

American Vision Labs LLC
    FKA: Z & M Optical Ventures LLC
    FKA: Z&M Optical Ventures LLC

Vacuum Coating Supplies LLC
    AKA: Vacuum Coating Supplies LLC

Additional Reading:

http://www.erai.com/customuploads/Count_One_Violation_18_USC_371.pdf
http://www.erai.com/customuploads/Guilty_Plea_Zuccarelli.pdf
http://www.erai.com/customuploads/ICE_Zuccarelli.pdf
http://www.erai.com/customuploads/DOJ_Zuccarelli.pdf