The trial of a stealth bomb engineer in Hawaii who was arrested in 2005 in charges of selling military secrets to China will begin this week, AP reports:
Noshir Gowadia has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts, including conspiracy, violating the arms export control act and money laundering. The indictment accuses Gowadia of helping China design a cruise missile with stealth capabilities.
The trial comes some 4 1/2 years after Gowadia’s arrest and more than three years after his trial was originally scheduled to be held. The 66-year-old Haiku resident has been in federal detention since his October 2005 arrest because a judge ruled he was a flight risk.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday at U.S. District Court in Honolulu, and opening statements are expected the following day. The trial is expected to last at least two months.
…Prosecutors allege Gowadia helped design an exhaust nozzle for China that gives off less heat, making it difficult for infrared detectors to find the missile. They say Gowadia pocketed $110,000 over two years for his exhaust nozzle design.
The indictment alleges he made six trips to China from 2003 to 2005, conspiring to conceal some of his visits by getting border agents to leave immigration stamps off his passport.
