Chinese national charged with conspiracy ordered held without bond

Ge Song Tao charged with conspiring to illegally export U.S. military grade boat engines

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A judge has ordered Ge Song Tao, one of four Chinese nationals charged in a conspiracy against the U.S. government, to be held in a detention facility without bond.

Ge was charged with conspiring to illegally export U.S. military grade boat engines and unlawful possession of a firearm by a foreign citizen. The government says Ge and three others intended to sell small boats and boat engines to the Chinese government.

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Ge’s lawyers had proposed a $500,000 bond and surrender of his passport, saying the case has “zero allegations” of national security issues.

The government told a judge that Ge is a flight risk and presented the results of a polygraph that indicated Ge lied when asked if the boats were ultimately bound for China. The defense presented the results of its own polygraph test that indicated Ge told the truth when asked that same question.

Ultimately, a judge ordered Ge held without bond. The three others indicted on charges related to the conspiracy include Fan Yang, Yang Yang and Zheng Yan.

Details of the case started to emerge after the the FBI and NCIS raided the Yangs’ Jacksonville home off San Jose Boulevard in October.

All four face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.