U.S. Officers Cost Russian Citizen for Smuggling Twin-Use Know-how
On Monday, September 16, 2024, Denis Postovoy, a 44-year-old Russian citizen residing in Sarasota, Florida, was arrested in reference to an indictment alleging unlawful exports of U.S.-sourced microelectronics to Russia. These microelectronic elements have army functions, and their export was carried out with out the mandatory licenses.
Prices and Allegations: Illegally Exporting Drone Know-how
The U.S. Division of Justice charged Postovoy with a number of counts, together with violating the Export Management Reform Act, smuggling, cash laundering, and defrauding the USA. The indictment, which was introduced by U.S. Lawyer Matthew M. Graves and Assistant Lawyer Common Matt Olsen of the Nationwide Safety Division, alleges that Postovoy started exporting these delicate elements in February 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The elements exported by Postovoy have been meant to be used in unmanned aerial autos (UAVs), generally referred to as drones. The indictment outlines that Postovoy, by means of his community of corporations in Russia, Hong Kong, and different places, bought the microelectronics from U.S.-based distributors and illegally shipped them to Russia with out acquiring the required licenses from the U.S. Division of Commerce.
In response to U.S. Lawyer Graves, “This defendant illegally exported dual-use expertise to Russia that would bolster its capabilities to wage its unprovoked warfare towards Ukraine. As alleged, he lied in regards to the last vacation spot for the expertise he was transport and used middleman locations to masks this criminality.”
Hid Actions and False Documentation
Postovoy is accused of utilizing quite a lot of strategies to cover the true finish customers of the microelectronics. The indictment particulars how Postovoy operated corporations, together with WowCube HK Restricted, JST Group Hong Kong, and Jove HK Restricted, all based mostly in Hong Kong, and the Vector Group in Russia. He submitted false data on transport paperwork to obscure the ultimate locations of the products, which have been in the end shipped to Russia by means of middleman places like Hong Kong and Switzerland.
Funds for these shipments have been made in U.S. {dollars} from overseas financial institution accounts. Postovoy’s corporations then transferred the funds by means of accounts in Russia, Hong Kong, and different places earlier than making last funds to U.S. suppliers. These transactions have been dealt with by means of accounts maintained by the suppliers of microelectronics and different delicate applied sciences inside the USA.
Particular Agent in Cost Ryan L. Spradlin of Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Denver emphasised the significance of uncovering Postovoy’s actions. “This defendant tried to acquire and illegally export dual-use microelectronics with army functions, and in the end ship them again to Russia. Mr. Postovoy will now face justice for his duplicity.”
Investigation and Coordination
The investigation into Postovoy’s actions is being led by Homeland Safety Investigations in Colorado Springs. The U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Columbia and the Nationwide Safety Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Management Part are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Lawyer Stuart D. Allen and Trial Lawyer Sean R. Heiden are main the prosecution efforts.
This case falls underneath the broader scope of efforts coordinated by the Disruptive Know-how Strike Drive. The Strike Drive is an interagency legislation enforcement initiative that targets illicit actors searching for to accumulate important expertise from the U.S. It’s co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce, with a give attention to stopping expertise from being obtained by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.
As acknowledged within the US Lawyer’s Workplace press launch, “An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible past an inexpensive doubt in a courtroom of legislation.”
Postovoy now faces authorized proceedings as authorities proceed their efforts to fight unlawful exports of delicate expertise.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone providers market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles centered on the business drone house and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand new applied sciences.
For drone trade consulting or writing, E mail Miriam.
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