Myanmar citizen convicted of export

[shwenanda@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Myanmar citizen convicted of exporting stolen luxury cars to  Russia 

Myanmar citizen convicted of exporting stolen luxury cars to Russia 
     Posted on 10/10/99, 09:42 AM CST. Email this story to a friend.

     Source: Naples News.
     Posted by: ShweInc NEWs

     Associated Press 

     MIAMI - A Myanmar citizen who owns three local shipping companies was
found guilty Friday of exporting to Russia luxury
     cars stolen by Polish nationals. 

     Myat Maung, a Miami resident from the southeast Asian country formerly
known as Burma, was convicted in U.S. District Court
     of conspiracy to export cars with altered vehicle identification
numbers and exporting stolen cars, according to a statement
     released by U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Scott. 

     Maung is president of North American Shipping Company and of
Transglobal Shipping Corporation, which does business
     under the name Universal Export Services, all Miami-based
freight-forwarding firms. 

     The car theft ring shipped 33 stolen Mercedes-Benzes and sport utility
vehicles to Russia, each shipped within days of being
     stolen in South Florida, from September through December 1996. From
April 1996 through August 1998, Maung's operation
     exported more than 70 expensive cars and SUV's, all shipped with
forged U.S. Customs clearance stamps, according to Scott's
     office. 

     Investigators estimated the value of the cars stolen at more then $2.3
million. 

     The jury returned with its guilty verdicts after deliberating just
more than an hour. The trial last 21/2 weeks. 

     Maung could get up to ten years in prison and face fines of up to
$250,000, along with paying restitution to the stolen vehicles'
     owners. No sentencing date was immediately announced. 

     Days before Maung's trial began, two codefendants - Pole Tadeusz
Zarebski, and Miami resident Miguel Torres, owner of
     Miami-based C.M.A. Towing Co., both pleaded guilty to conspiracy
charges. 

     In April, two Polish codefendants were sentenced to prison. Chris
Muzynski received a 31/2 year sentence while Jacek Sajko got
     one year.