Ex-Air Force pilot arrested for alleged training of Chinese military pilots

Federal prosecutors say Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. was arrested in Indiana and charged with providing defense services to Chinese military pilots without State Department authorization.

A former U.S. Air Force pilot, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., was taken into custody in Jeffersonville, Indiana and is charged by federal prosecutors with providing defense services to Chinese military pilots without State Department authorization. The Department of Justice alleges the conduct began in or around August 2023 and that Brown traveled to China in December 2023 before returning to the United States earlier this month. Prosecutors say the activities violated the Arms Export Control Act because no required license was obtained. Statements and a complaint filed by DOJ officials form the basis of the charges. Key reported facts: - The DOJ reports Brown was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana and charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to pilots of the Chinese military without authorization. - Prosecutors allege the alleged conduct began around August 2023, that Brown traveled to China in December 2023, and that he returned to the U.S. earlier this month. - The charges cite violations of the Arms Export Control Act and say Brown did not have a State Department license to provide the training. - The report notes statements from Justice Department officials; it does not specify upcoming court dates or the next procedural step. Summary: The case centers on reported allegations that a former U.S. pilot provided military training to Chinese military pilots without the required U.S. authorization and that export-control laws were violated. Undetermined at this time.