Prosecutions highlight bid to clean up defense supply chain

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/10/12/prosecutions-highlight-bid-clean-defense-supply-chain/HlycrIhOjg4EPauO9EY8BO/story.html

Prosecutions highlight bid to clean up defense supply chain
By Michael Melia Associated Press
October 13, 2015

HARTFORD — When Peter Picone sold counterfeit electronic parts from China and Hong Kong for use in US Navy submarines, the US Justice Department says, he knew their failure could have ‘‘catastrophic’’ consequences.

He was sentenced last week to more than three years in prison in one of the first convictions under a law that aims to help curb the growing problem of counterfeit parts entering the supply stream for US military contractors.

It’s a problem that occupies federal investigators particularly in such states as Connecticut with many defense contractors. In addition to the case involving integrated circuits for the submarine built at Groton-based Electric Boat, a man is awaiting sentencing for supplying unapproved computer chips for military helicopters built by Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.

‘‘With the amount of defense contractors in Connecticut, and the volume of integrated circuits and things like that that go into these different components and systems, it’s certainly an important thing for us,’’ said David Mello, agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigations office in New Haven. ‘‘We do have a lot of leads and we look into them regularly.’’