Pervez, Arshad Z.

The exhibits included Pervez’s notebooks with such incriminating language as “atom” and “military.” Moreover, “my expert is procurement manager for nuclear plant.” A letter from Ul-Haq to Pervez from early 1987 demonstrated that this was more than a business venture: “personal interests must not be allowed to overtake national interests.”

The indictment against Pervez and Ul-Haq included charges of conspiracy, bribery, racketeering, export violations, and false statements.

After hearing tape-recorded conversations and seeing Pervez’s diary entries and the Pervez-Carpenter correspondence, on 17 December 1987, the jury found him guilty on 5 out of 8 counts, including conspiracy, attempted export of beryllium without the required license, and submitting false end-use statements about the maraging steel. Inam Ul-Haq was also found guilty of conspiracy and false statements.

The exhibits included Pervez’s notebooks with such incriminating language as “atom” and “military.”

Pervez’s lawyers had mounted an entrapment defense in 1987 and a Supreme Court decision relating to that defense (Matthews vs. United States) case made it possible for Pervez to launch successfully a bid for retrial on all of the counts. After plea bargaining discussions, a trial was avoided when Pervez pleaded nolo contendere to the count of illegal export of beryllium. He was released from prison on 4 April 1990 on the basis of time served.