German Accused of Illegal Exports to Czechoslovakia
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A West German citizen was arrested Wednesday on criminal charges that he diverted a computer and related equipment to Czechoslovakia, federal officials said.
Marino Pradetto, president of Capitol PPB Electronics of Vaterstetten, West Germany, was charged with conspiring to violate export laws by re-exporting a $196,000 VAX-11780 computer and parts manufactured by Digital Equipment Corp.
Co-conspirators named in the complaint against Pradetto were Richard Wolf of San Jose; Lawney Fierro, a former San Jose resident whose whereabouts are unknown, and Raymond Coles, president of Coles Industries of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The U.S. Commerce Department said Pradetto’s arrest resulted from an undercover operation by its export enforcement office.
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