After Japanese Yakuza Member Pled to Life in Jail for Nuclear Trafficking He Gets 20 Years

After Japanese Yakuza Member Pled to Life in Jail for Nuclear Trafficking He Gets 20 Years by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 3 – DOJ announced that TAKESHI EBISAWA pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to conspiring to traffic nuclear materials, including uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, from Burma to other countries, as well as to international narcotics trafficking and weapons charges.      Inner City Press was there, the only media present as the plea agreement was read out by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Colleen McMahon.    Ebisawa, speaking through a Japanese interpreter, said he is 60 years old; he agreed not to appeal any sentence below the stipulated guideline - which is life imprisonment. On January 31 co-defendant Somphop Singhasiri also pled guilty. On September 18 counsel to Ebisawa wrote in asking for a delay in sentencing and it was granted. On January 13, co-defendant Singhasiri got eight years, lower than some expected. On February 23, corrected February 24, counsel to Ebisawa asked for 10 years. On March 3, Inner City Press attended and live tweeted the sentencing: AUSA: We are requesting 30 years Defense: 10 years would be enough. Of course, he is not helped by the news coverage this week of Iran, the planned purchaser of the nuclear material. Defense: Viktor Bout got 25 years, served 12. My client is not going to be part of any prisoner swap. The yellow cake was from Burma and it was not processed. Defendant Ebisawa: I apologize for my conduct. I admire the US.  Judge: Given your age (61) I think 30 years is too much. I sentence you to 20 years in prison, after which you should be deported to Japan.  The case is USA v. Ebisawa, 1:22-cr-256 (McMahon) *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com SDNY Press Room 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com