Bolingbrook businessman pleads guilty to violating export law

A Bolingbrook businessman has pleaded guilty to violating U.S. law by trying to ship a thermal imaging camera and successfully shipping other restricted items to Pakistan without export licenses.

The U.S. attorney's office in Chicago says 34-year-old Bilal Ahmed on Thursday entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court.

The owner of Schaumberg-based Trexim Corp. pleaded guilty to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Ahmed faces a maximum 20-year prison term, though guidelines call for much less time.

Ahmed admitted shipping carbon fiber and microwave laminates to Pakistan. A prosecutors' statement says carbon fiber is "controlled for nuclear nonproliferation and anti-terrorism reasons."

Ahmed was arrested in March as he tried to ship the thermal imaging camera.

His sentencing is set for Jan. 15.