Former Millthorpe local, and Australian citizen, Dan Duggan looks sets to be extradited to the United States on serious military charges after losing a key Federal Court appeal last week.

The one-time American Marine pilot is alleged to have taught Chinese aviators how to land and take-off from a simulated aircraft carrier setting in South Africa more than a decade ago between 2010-12.

Duggan has been held in maximum-security custody – mostly at Wellington Correctional Centre – since his arrest in October 2022 in the Woolworth's carpark in Orange shortly after dropping his children at school.

Justice James Stellios dismissed Duggan's bid to block his extradition, effectively paving the way for his surrender to American authorities.

He faces four charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, and violating the US Arms Export Control Act, although, at the time of his arrest, these offences were not themselves offences in Australia.

Duggan denies the allegations, maintaining he trained civilian pilots and that his actions were legal under Australian law at the time. His legal team argued that the “dual criminality” requirement for extradition was therefore not met.

The Australian Government, through former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, approved the extradition in late 2024. Current Attorney-General Michelle Rowland's office stated that Duggan will remain in custody until his surrender to the US.

Duggan has four weeks form the time of the decision to lodge a further appeal, with his family and supporters pleading directly to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to intervene and prevent his surrender to the United States.

If convicted in an American military court, he faces up to 65 years in prison.