Four individuals have been arrested in New York in connection to two separate conspiracies to "unlawfully export controlled, dual-use technologies to Russia," the U.S. Justice Department reported on Nov. 1.
According to the investigation, over seven million dollars worth of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and other electronics have been unlawfully exported to Russian end-users affiliated with the Russian military.
It was previously reported that one Russian-Tajik national and two Russian-Canadians were arrested on Oct. 31 in connection to a "massive sanctions evasion and export control scheme."
A separate indictment was unsealed on Nov. 1 resulting in the arrest of Brooklyn resident Nikolay Grigorev. Two Russian nationals, Artem Oloviannikov and Nikita Arkhipov, were also charged but remain at large.
The indictment alleges "an illegal exports scheme to procure dual-use electronic components for entities in Russia involved in the development and manufacture of drones for the Russian war effort in Ukraine."
According to the DOJ, Grigorev and his partners in Russia used a corporate entity, Quality Life Cue LLC (QLC), to facilitate their illegal export control scheme.
QLC was registered in Brooklyn and controlled by Grigorev and Oloviannikov, with Arkhipov utilizing a QLC email account from Russia. Through QLC, Grigorev and his partners procured dual-use electronic components, including semiconductors, for entities in Russia involved in the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
The scheme sought to benefit companies affiliated with the Russian military, including SMT-iLogic, a sanctioned Russian entity previously identified to be part of the supply chain in producing Russian military drones.
According to court documents, QLC accounts controlled by Grigorev received wire transactions from iLogic totaling approximately $273,000 between Oct. 2021 and Feb. 2022.
A court-authorized search of Grigorev’s residence in Brooklyn in June 2023 intercepted over 11,500 electronic components awaiting unlawful export to Russia.
Alexander Khrebet
(Updated: )
