U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of North Carolina

NEWS RELEASE:

Carrington pleads guilty to a felony for illegal shipments of crime control equipment to China

FNEW BERN - United States Attorney Frank D. Whitney announced that JOHN H. CARRINGTON, 71, of Raleigh, former President and CEO, and currently the primary shareholder of SIRCHIE FINGERPRINT LABS, INC., a closely held corporation located in Youngsville, North Carolina, pled guilty to a felony violation of the Export Administration Act in U. S. District court in New Bern. The criminal plea agreement reached with the government requires CARRINGTON to pay a fine of $850,000, suspends his export privileges for a period of five years, and potentially exposes him to imprisonment for up to 10 years. Pursuant to a parallel civil settlement with the U. S. Department of Commerce, SIRCHIE, INC., the corporation has paid an additional $400,000 penalty. SIRCHIE, INC. has also accepted a suspended denial of export privileges for a period of five years.

CARRINGTON was charged with willfully circumventing export regulations forbidding the exportation of crime control equipment and supplies to the People’s Republic of China. CARRINGTON pled guilty to exporting equipment and supplies valued in excess of 1.2 million dollars. CARRINGTON was released on his own recognizance. Sentencing is scheduled for March 20, 2006.

This investigation will result in the collection of 1.25 million dollars in fines and penalties as a result of the export violations. Investigation of the case was conducted by the U. S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement and the U. S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U. S. Attorneys James A. Candelmo and John S. Bowler prosecuted the case for the United States.