[ RadSafe ] Prison Term For Illegal Shipment

[Mercado, Don]

Company President Draws Prison Term For Transporting Radioactive
Material		 
TAMPA, Fla.--The president of a Florida company was sentenced to two
years in prison for illegally transporting radioactive hazardous
material between the Bahamas and the United States, federal prosecutors
announced Aug. 4 (United States v. DeGregory, S.D. Fla., No. 05-60201,
8/4/06). 
In addition, defendant Harold J. DeGregory was ordered to forfeit two
Piper Navajo aircraft, valued at about $75,000 each, R. Alexander
Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said in a
written statement. 
DeGregory, president of H&G Import Export of Fort Lauderdale, was
convicted in January of three counts of illegal transportation of the
radioactive isotope iridium-192 and two counts of making a materially
false statement to the government. 
Prosecutors said neither DeGregory nor his company was licensed,
trained, or certified to handle or transport hazardous radioactive
material in air commerce. 
They also said DeGregory flew or had others fly iridium-192, which is
used in industrial radiography and is subject to the Hazardous Materials
Transportation Act, on several occasions between the two countries. 
On one 2004 flight, the depleted material was discovered hidden in the
wing compartment of an aircraft that DeGregory piloted from Freeport,
Bahamas, to Fort Lauderdale. 
DeGregory was indicted in U.S. District Court for the Southern District
of Florida in August 2005 (157 DEN A-5, 8/16/05  "Although licensed only
to conduct 'private' flight operations, the evidence demonstrated that
DeGregory was one of a group of pilots who conduct illegal commercial
cargo and passenger flight operations under the guise of private,
non-commercial activity, to evade the enhanced safety and regulatory
oversight given to commercial operators," the statement said.