A former Hill Air Force Base employee has been charged with illegally exporting F-16 parts to Indonesia.
Scott A. Williams, a civilian contractor who worked with the foreign military sales program at the Utah base, was indicted last week on two counts of unlawful exportation of goods, making a false statement in a document and conversion of property of the United States, according to the Justice Department.
Williams specialized in F-16 parts, according to a release. His employment has since been terminated pending his felony charges.
Williams, 51, allegedly shipped two F-16 aircraft brake assemblies overseas knowing it was a violation of federal law. The shipments occurred on two different occasions — once in March and once in April 2013, according to Williams' indictment record obtained by Air Force Times.
He is also accused of falsifying documents that would authorize the foreign shipment, illegally exporting Air Force technical orders, and copying F-16 data for other potential orders.
The distributed technical orders were maintenance manuals — describing electrical work, organization of aircraft parts — for the F-16, the indictment records show. Williams sent 11 orders total.
"The U.S. Attorney's Office represents the interests of the United States in the federal court, and we are committed to protecting the assets and technology of the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense," U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said Tuesday
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and a handful of agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, IRS Criminal Investigation, Air Force Audit Agency, Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, were involved in uncovering Williams' scheme.
Williams pled not guilty to all four charges during his arraignment in federal court on Feb. 23. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on each count of illegal exportation; false statement in a document carries a potential penalty of up to five years, and a conversion of government property has a potential penalty of 10 years.
Williams' trial is set to begin May 2.
