Suspect charged with conspiracy for smuggling military-grade electronics to Russia

Estonian national accused of conspiracy for procuring electronics from U.S. manufacturers on behalf of Russian defense contractors and government agencies

The U.S. government has charged an Estonian national with conspiracy related to the receipt of U.S.-made electronics by Russia's government and military that endangered citizens in the Ukraine and America.

According to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York on April 5, Andrei Shevlyakov was charged with 18 counts related to conspiracy and illegal export of sensitive technologies to Russia. The 45-year-old was arrested on March 28 in Estonia and is alleged to have used front companies and fake names to skirt U.S. export controls.

"For more than a decade, the defendant has been acquiring sensitive electronics from U.S. manufacturers on behalf of the Russian government, in defiance of U.S. export controls," said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in the press release.

Shevlyakov is accused of procuring electronics, including radar components, from U.S. manufacturers on behalf of Russian defense contractors and government agencies. The indictment said that Shevlyakov's communications with Russia-based customers included explicit mention of "military" goods. He is also accused of attempting to procure computer-hacking software developed in the United States.

The alleged conspiracy involved an "intricate logistics operation" that required frequent smuggling trips by Shevlyakov and others across the Russian border to deliver the goods. A shipment containing 130 kilograms of radio equipment was seized at the time of Shevlyakov's arrest, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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If convicted, Shevlyakov faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. The United States and other countries maintain strict export controls limiting Russia's access to technology and other resources that can support its defense industry. Shevlyakov was listed on the U.S. Commerce Department's "Entity List" designating individuals and companies barred from exporting items from the United States without a license in 2012.

The specific details of the charges against Shevlyakov and the alleged harm caused to citizens in Ukraine and the United States remain unknown, but the case highlights the importance of strict enforcement of export controls and the need to prevent unauthorized transfers of sensitive technologies that could be used for military purposes.