New York - A Brooklyn man who holds dual citizenship in both the United States and Belarus was arrested Thursday on federal charges for the illegal export of controlled technology from the United States. Two Russian nationals were also arrested in Denver, on charges of conspiring in the scheme. The arrests stem from a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in New York, the FBI the Department of Commerce (DOC) and other federal agencies.
Alexey Barysheff, 36, along with his cohorts Dmitrii Aleksandrovich Karpenko, 33, and Alexey Krutilin, 27, is charged with acquiring sophisticated military and satellite technology on behalf of Russian end-users. Simultaneous to the arrests, federal agents executed search warrants at two Brooklyn locations that were allegedly used as front companies in the illegal scheme.
“Had law enforcement not interceded, the alleged perpetrators would have exported materials that are known to be used in a wide range of military devices,” said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge for HSI New York. “HSI will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies while focusing its efforts on national security and stopping the illegal flow of sensitive technology.”
“U.S. export laws exist to prevent potentially dangerous technology from falling into the wrong hands,” said Robert L. Capers, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “Those who seek to evade the scrutiny of the regulatory and law enforcement agencies by operating in the shadows present a danger to our national security and our allies abroad. We will continue to use all of our available national security options to hold such individuals and corporations accountable.”
As stated in the complaint, Barysheff, Karpenko and Krutilin were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to obtain technologically cutting-edge microelectronics from manufacturers and suppliers located within the U.S. and export those high-tech products to Russia. This was done while evading the government licensing system and restrictions set up by the DOC for items that have been determined could make a significant contribution to the military potential and weapons proliferation of other nations and that could be detrimental to the foreign policy and national security of the United States. The microelectronics shipped to Russia included digital-to-analog converters and integrated circuits, which are frequently used in a wide range of military systems including radar and surveillance systems, missile guidance systems, and satellites. These electronic devices required a license from the DOC to be exported to Russia and have been restricted for anti-terrorism and national security reasons.
As further detailed in the complaints, Barysheff registered the Brooklyn, New York-based companies BKLN Spectra, Inc. (Spectra) and UIP Techno Corp. (UIP Techno) in 2015. Since that time, the alleged perpetrators have used those entities as U.S.-based front companies to purchase, attempt to purchase, and illegally export controlled technology. The scheme was to convince U.S.-based manufacturers and suppliers to sell them high-tech, export-controlled microelectronics by purporting to be employees and representatives of Spectra and UIP Techno. The alleged culprits then provided false end-user information when purchasing the items, concealed the fact that they were exporters, and falsely classified the goods they exported on documents submitted to the DOC.
The case is being prosecuted by EDNY’s National Security and Cybercrime Section with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The charges contained in the complaints are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, the defendants face up to 25 years in prison and a $1 million fine.