Austrian court acquits Blackwater founder and 4 others over export of modified crop-spraying planes

BERLIN (AP) — An Austrian court has acquitted five people, including the founder of the Blackwater security firm, who were accused of exporting two crop-spraying aircraft that were allegedly refitted for military purposes without the necessary permits. The state court in Wiener Neustadt found Thursday that the modified aircraft were not “war material.” It also found that the defendants had acted “very prudently” and sought advice on export permits. The trial stemmed from an investigation into a local company which fits out aircraft with sensors and other equipment. The defendants included Blackwater founder Erik Prince.