Former professional surfer Vincent Sennen Garcia – known as Sunny – from Rancho Santa Fe pleaded guilty today to making false statements on a federal income tax return, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today.
In the plea, Garcia admitted to knowingly withholding $161,450 in cash and traveler’s checks awarded at competitions in Fiji, Australia, South Africa, France, Spain, Portugal and Brazil in 2000. He also admitted to failing to report another $255,635 from 1996 to 2001. He faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison.
At the same time, the office announced the sentencing of Arif Ali Durrani on charges of illegally exporting military aircraft components to the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Belgium. Prosecutors say at least some of the parts were headed for Iran. The parts included engines used in the F-5 fighter plains and engines used in the Chinook military helicopter.
A Pakistani national, Durrani had already been convicted of violating the Arms Export Control Act once in 1987. According to prosecutors, he was deported and settled in Rosarito Beach, Mexico, and continued to work in arms dealing. Durrani was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison and three years supervised release.