Russian citizen Vadim Konoshchenok, one of the defendants in the case of conspiracy to purchase dual-use products and transfer them to the structures of the Russian military-industrial complex (MIC) in circumvention of sanctions, was extradited from Estonia to the United States, where he will stand trial, the US Department of Justice said in a statement.
"Vadim Konoshchenok will appear this afternoon before US Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr. in federal court in Brooklyn in connection with charges of collusion and other charges related to the global procurement and money laundering network," the United States Department of Justice explained.
As RAPSI reported earlier, within the framework of this case, charges are brought against five citizens of the Russian Federation - Konoshchenko, as well as Evgeny Grinin, Alexei Ippolitov, Boris Livshits, Svetlana Skvortsova. In addition, the defendants in the case are Alexei Braiman, who lives in the United States, US citizen Vadim Ermolenko and Nikolaos Bogonikolos, who has Greek citizenship. The latter, according to the case file, is the founder and president of the Aratos Group, which unites defense and technology companies in the Netherlands and Greece.
According to US authorities, the defendants were allegedly associated with Moscow-registered companies Sernia Engineering and Sertal, which are engaged in the purchase of "advanced electronics and modern test equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex and research sector."
"The defendants illegally acquired and exported highly sensitive, strictly controlled, electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, in quantum computing and find other military applications," the US Department of Justice noted.
In light of the conflict in Ukraine, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce has tightened licensing requirements for the export of products to the Russian Federation, while by decision of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, sanctions were imposed on Sernia Engineering, Sertal, Grinin, and a number of other individuals and legal entities.
In connection with the criminal case initiated in the United States, Konoshchenko was detained in Estonia in December 2022, his house was searched. Bryman and Ermolenko were detained in the United States. Bogonikolos, in turn, was detained in France on May 9 this year
The case is in federal court for the Eastern District of New York, in May an amended indictment was received, in which 16 counts were received, including conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the ECRA Reform Act, failure to file electronic export information.
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On July 14, 2023, Brion Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York State in Brooklyn, who stated that "this case should serve as the latest example that no matter where in the world you are, if you violate U.S. export control law or circumvent sanctions, we will not rest until you are brought before an American court." This was stated in a press release in connection with the indictment of 49-year-old Vadim Konoshonok, a native of St. Petersburg who lived in Tallinn, a Russian citizen and presumably an officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), in whose colonel's uniform he was photographed.
Konoshonok was arrested in Estonia on December 6 last year on a warrant issued by Brooklyn federal judge Margo Brodie. On July 13, he was extradited to New York and on the morning of July 14 he was taken to the Brooklyn federal court, where he was given free lawyers Gary Villanova and Sabrina Shroff, who at one time defended Victor Bout, extradited from Thailand. Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes acquainted Vadim Konoshonok with charges of illegal export of American electronics for the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation and money laundering, and all this in collusion with accomplices. The prosecutor's office calls Konoshonok an employee of Russian intelligence, and there is evidence in the case materials that in electronic correspondence he called himself a "colonel of the FSB", that is, counterintelligence. The prosecution threatens Konoshonok with up to 30 years in prison, he pleaded not guilty, was taken into custody without bail and placed in the Brooklyn federal prison MDC under No 10554-506. The next court hearing on his case is scheduled for July 31.
"It is alleged," Peace said in a press release, "that the defendant played an important role in a scheme to deliver classified U.S.-made electronics and ammunition in support of Russia's war effort and weapons development, thereby violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions, and other criminal provisions." Echoing him, Deputy Minister of Justice for these very criminal provisions, Kenneth Polight, explained that in early December last year, he met with Estonian partners in Tallinn regarding the US request for the arrest of Vadim Konoshonok and met with understanding from the team of Prosecutor General Andreas Parmas and the Estonian Internal Security Service, not to mention the international department of the Estonian Ministry of Justice. Our Deputy Minister of Justice for Homeland Security, Matthew Olsen, also did not remain silent and said in a press release that "the defendant, who is suspected of having links to the FSB, smuggled hundreds of thousands of ammunition in support of Moscow's war machine, using front companies to conceal his criminal actions." It sounded apt and weighty, especially with the addition that "our Department of Justice remains adamant in its mission to resist Russian aggression, and we will not give a penny for those who violate US sanctions in favor of this war." By the words "broken penny" I figuratively translated Olsen's word "quater," that is, a 25-cent coin. In a press release from the Brooklyn federal prosecutor's office, Andrew Adams, head of the Kleptto Capture task force, and Jonathan Carson, head of the New York branch of the Commerce Department's investigative division, also noted.
Case No 22-CR-409 (U.S. v. Vadim Konoshonok) is actually separated from the one initiated in December last year in the same prosecutor's office in the case of the "Magnificent Seven", which, in addition to Vadim Konoshonok from St. Petersburg, who lived in Tallinn, included Muscovites Evgeny Grinin, Alexei Ippolitov and Svetlana Skvortsova; another St. Petersburg resident Boris Livshits and two residents of the United States - a naturalized American Vadim Ermolenko, who lives in New Jersey, and an Israeli citizen Alexei Bryman, who lives on a green card in New Hampshire with his wife Daria. Five foreigners were charged in absentia, and Briman and Ermolenko were arrested at the same time as Konoshonok and released on bail - the first for 150 thousand dollars, since he himself appeared in the FBI, and the second for half a million, and both have not yet pleaded guilty. The group's 40 pages of indictment revealed that they were circumventing U.S. export regulations and sanctions to purchase electronic components that could be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons.
As First Deputy Minister of Justice Lisa Monaco put it at the time, the defendants "fueled Russia's illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine." Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Brion Peace explained at the time that they were linked to Moscow-based companies Sernia Engineering and Sertal, which worked for Russian intelligence, and "acquired advanced electronics and advanced testing equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex, research and development." Evgeny Grinin was the technical director of Sertal, as well as the head of Photon Pro, the roof of Semiya Network. Lifshitz, who lived in Brooklyn before Moscow, owned and operated several companies that operated on behalf of the Semiya Network. Skvortsova was a consultant to the general director of Sertal and reported to Grinin. Ippolitov was associated with the All-Russian Research Institute of Electromechanics, which was subordinate to the Roscosmos company, which deals with military and civilian satellites. In general, they did not strain, and, according to a 5-year investigation, Semiya and Sertal hid behind a network of shell companies and bank accounts in several countries, including the United States. Russian accomplices received orders, negotiated payment and established a delivery route, and the former American Lifshitz purchased the ordered equipment through shell companies and bank accounts in New York, which he sent from the United States to Moscow with the help of Bryman and Ermolenko.
Vadim Konoshonok was on the side in this company, but the indictment says that Lifshitz "coordinated" work with him. In particular, this work consisted in sending American equipment purchased in the United States to Russia through Estonia. These were electronics for "binary", that is, civilian and military purposes, gun cartridges and other goods for the export of which a special permit was required. The indictment alleges that Lifshitz discussed with Konoshonok how to forge customs documents in order to import ammunition into Russia under the guise of car parts. In particular, on October 27, 2022, Estonian border guards detained Konoshonok in Narva while traveling to Russia and found 35 different semiconductors and other electronics ordered by Livshits in the United States, as well as several thousand US-made 6.5 mm cartridges, which are usually used by snipers. On November 24, Vadim Konoshonok was again stopped at the border while trying to smuggle several thousand American rounds of ammunition into Russia again, also for sniper rifles, albeit of a different caliber. During the arrest of Konoshonok in Tallinn on December 6Local authorities visited the warehouse registered in his son's name and found cartridges with a total weight of about 170 kg.
Summarizing them, the indictment states that Estonia was a popular shipment across the border of which Konoshonok smuggled American arms contraband to Russia. In addition to the already mentioned 6.5 mm cartridges, these were 5.56, 7 mm, 7.85 and 8.6 mm calibers, and ammunition with a total oar of more than half a ton was found in the warehouse of Konoshonok's son and in other places. In Estonia, Vadim Konoshonok had a shell company, Stone-bridge Resources, through which he conducted business and communicated with accomplices. In one intercepted text message, he opened up and wrote that his share is 10%, since "I can't do less. Sanctions. For being under sanctions, 10%." It can be added that "up to 30 years in prison", although Vadim Konoshonok is considered not guilty until the court's decision.
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Alexei Braiman, a defendant in the case of conspiracy to purchase dual-use products and transfer them to the structures of the Russian military-industrial complex (MIC) in circumvention of sanctions, agreed to a deal with the United States Attorney's Office.
According to the materials of the case, considered in federal court for the Eastern District of New York, Bryman agreed to plead guilty to one count - conspiracy to defraud the United States.
By order of the court, the Probation Service must submit its Presentence Report no later than November 25, after which the date of sentencing will be agreed.
Recall that within the framework of this criminal case, in addition to Alexei Braiman and Vadim Ermolenko, who lived in the United States, charges were brought against five citizens of the Russian Federation - Yevgeny Grinin, Alexei Ippolitov, Boris Livshits, Svetlana Skvortsova and Vadim Konoshchenko, as well as Nikolaos Bogonikolos, who has Greek citizenship. The latter, according to the case file, is the founder and president of the Aratos Group, which unites defense and technology companies in the Netherlands and Greece.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the defendants were allegedly linked to Moscow-registered companies engaged in the procurement of "advanced electronics and advanced test equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex and research sector."
"The defendants illegally acquired and exported highly sensitive, strictly controlled, electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, in quantum computing and find other military applications," the US Department of Justice noted.
In light of the conflict in Ukraine, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce has tightened licensing requirements for the export of products to the Russian Federation.
In connection with the criminal case initiated in the United States, Konoshchenok was detained in Estonia in December 2022. Bryman and Ermolenko were detained in the United States. Bogonikolos, in turn, was detained in France on May 9 this year in connection with suspicions of conspiracy for the purpose of electronic fraud (wire fraud conspiracy) and smuggling, the issue of his extradition to the United States is being decided.
Konoshchenko was extradited to the United States in mid-July this year, where he appeared in court, refusing to admit guilt. Later, he was pardoned by decree of US President Joe Biden and returned to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. Earlier in August, a New York court received a petition demanding to terminate the proceedings against Konoshchenko, who insists on his innocence.
"Vadim Konoshchenok will appear this afternoon before US Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr. in federal court in Brooklyn in connection with charges of collusion and other charges related to the global procurement and money laundering network," the United States Department of Justice explained.
As RAPSI reported earlier, within the framework of this case, charges are brought against five citizens of the Russian Federation - Konoshchenko, as well as Evgeny Grinin, Alexei Ippolitov, Boris Livshits, Svetlana Skvortsova. In addition, the defendants in the case are Alexei Braiman, who lives in the United States, US citizen Vadim Ermolenko and Nikolaos Bogonikolos, who has Greek citizenship. The latter, according to the case file, is the founder and president of the Aratos Group, which unites defense and technology companies in the Netherlands and Greece.
According to US authorities, the defendants were allegedly associated with Moscow-registered companies Sernia Engineering and Sertal, which are engaged in the purchase of "advanced electronics and modern test equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex and research sector."
"The defendants illegally acquired and exported highly sensitive, strictly controlled, electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, in quantum computing and find other military applications," the US Department of Justice noted.
In light of the conflict in Ukraine, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce has tightened licensing requirements for the export of products to the Russian Federation, while by decision of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, sanctions were imposed on Sernia Engineering, Sertal, Grinin, and a number of other individuals and legal entities.
In connection with the criminal case initiated in the United States, Konoshchenko was detained in Estonia in December 2022, his house was searched. Bryman and Ermolenko were detained in the United States. Bogonikolos, in turn, was detained in France on May 9 this year
The case is in federal court for the Eastern District of New York, in May an amended indictment was received, in which 16 counts were received, including conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the ECRA Reform Act, failure to file electronic export information.
----------------
On July 14, 2023, Brion Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York State in Brooklyn, who stated that "this case should serve as the latest example that no matter where in the world you are, if you violate U.S. export control law or circumvent sanctions, we will not rest until you are brought before an American court." This was stated in a press release in connection with the indictment of 49-year-old Vadim Konoshonok, a native of St. Petersburg who lived in Tallinn, a Russian citizen and presumably an officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), in whose colonel's uniform he was photographed.
Konoshonok was arrested in Estonia on December 6 last year on a warrant issued by Brooklyn federal judge Margo Brodie. On July 13, he was extradited to New York and on the morning of July 14 he was taken to the Brooklyn federal court, where he was given free lawyers Gary Villanova and Sabrina Shroff, who at one time defended Victor Bout, extradited from Thailand. Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes acquainted Vadim Konoshonok with charges of illegal export of American electronics for the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation and money laundering, and all this in collusion with accomplices. The prosecutor's office calls Konoshonok an employee of Russian intelligence, and there is evidence in the case materials that in electronic correspondence he called himself a "colonel of the FSB", that is, counterintelligence. The prosecution threatens Konoshonok with up to 30 years in prison, he pleaded not guilty, was taken into custody without bail and placed in the Brooklyn federal prison MDC under No 10554-506. The next court hearing on his case is scheduled for July 31.
"It is alleged," Peace said in a press release, "that the defendant played an important role in a scheme to deliver classified U.S.-made electronics and ammunition in support of Russia's war effort and weapons development, thereby violating U.S. export controls, economic sanctions, and other criminal provisions." Echoing him, Deputy Minister of Justice for these very criminal provisions, Kenneth Polight, explained that in early December last year, he met with Estonian partners in Tallinn regarding the US request for the arrest of Vadim Konoshonok and met with understanding from the team of Prosecutor General Andreas Parmas and the Estonian Internal Security Service, not to mention the international department of the Estonian Ministry of Justice. Our Deputy Minister of Justice for Homeland Security, Matthew Olsen, also did not remain silent and said in a press release that "the defendant, who is suspected of having links to the FSB, smuggled hundreds of thousands of ammunition in support of Moscow's war machine, using front companies to conceal his criminal actions." It sounded apt and weighty, especially with the addition that "our Department of Justice remains adamant in its mission to resist Russian aggression, and we will not give a penny for those who violate US sanctions in favor of this war." By the words "broken penny" I figuratively translated Olsen's word "quater," that is, a 25-cent coin. In a press release from the Brooklyn federal prosecutor's office, Andrew Adams, head of the Kleptto Capture task force, and Jonathan Carson, head of the New York branch of the Commerce Department's investigative division, also noted.
Case No 22-CR-409 (U.S. v. Vadim Konoshonok) is actually separated from the one initiated in December last year in the same prosecutor's office in the case of the "Magnificent Seven", which, in addition to Vadim Konoshonok from St. Petersburg, who lived in Tallinn, included Muscovites Evgeny Grinin, Alexei Ippolitov and Svetlana Skvortsova; another St. Petersburg resident Boris Livshits and two residents of the United States - a naturalized American Vadim Ermolenko, who lives in New Jersey, and an Israeli citizen Alexei Bryman, who lives on a green card in New Hampshire with his wife Daria. Five foreigners were charged in absentia, and Briman and Ermolenko were arrested at the same time as Konoshonok and released on bail - the first for 150 thousand dollars, since he himself appeared in the FBI, and the second for half a million, and both have not yet pleaded guilty. The group's 40 pages of indictment revealed that they were circumventing U.S. export regulations and sanctions to purchase electronic components that could be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons.
As First Deputy Minister of Justice Lisa Monaco put it at the time, the defendants "fueled Russia's illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine." Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Brion Peace explained at the time that they were linked to Moscow-based companies Sernia Engineering and Sertal, which worked for Russian intelligence, and "acquired advanced electronics and advanced testing equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex, research and development." Evgeny Grinin was the technical director of Sertal, as well as the head of Photon Pro, the roof of Semiya Network. Lifshitz, who lived in Brooklyn before Moscow, owned and operated several companies that operated on behalf of the Semiya Network. Skvortsova was a consultant to the general director of Sertal and reported to Grinin. Ippolitov was associated with the All-Russian Research Institute of Electromechanics, which was subordinate to the Roscosmos company, which deals with military and civilian satellites. In general, they did not strain, and, according to a 5-year investigation, Semiya and Sertal hid behind a network of shell companies and bank accounts in several countries, including the United States. Russian accomplices received orders, negotiated payment and established a delivery route, and the former American Lifshitz purchased the ordered equipment through shell companies and bank accounts in New York, which he sent from the United States to Moscow with the help of Bryman and Ermolenko.
Vadim Konoshonok was on the side in this company, but the indictment says that Lifshitz "coordinated" work with him. In particular, this work consisted in sending American equipment purchased in the United States to Russia through Estonia. These were electronics for "binary", that is, civilian and military purposes, gun cartridges and other goods for the export of which a special permit was required. The indictment alleges that Lifshitz discussed with Konoshonok how to forge customs documents in order to import ammunition into Russia under the guise of car parts. In particular, on October 27, 2022, Estonian border guards detained Konoshonok in Narva while traveling to Russia and found 35 different semiconductors and other electronics ordered by Livshits in the United States, as well as several thousand US-made 6.5 mm cartridges, which are usually used by snipers. On November 24, Vadim Konoshonok was again stopped at the border while trying to smuggle several thousand American rounds of ammunition into Russia again, also for sniper rifles, albeit of a different caliber. During the arrest of Konoshonok in Tallinn on December 6Local authorities visited the warehouse registered in his son's name and found cartridges with a total weight of about 170 kg.
Summarizing them, the indictment states that Estonia was a popular shipment across the border of which Konoshonok smuggled American arms contraband to Russia. In addition to the already mentioned 6.5 mm cartridges, these were 5.56, 7 mm, 7.85 and 8.6 mm calibers, and ammunition with a total oar of more than half a ton was found in the warehouse of Konoshonok's son and in other places. In Estonia, Vadim Konoshonok had a shell company, Stone-bridge Resources, through which he conducted business and communicated with accomplices. In one intercepted text message, he opened up and wrote that his share is 10%, since "I can't do less. Sanctions. For being under sanctions, 10%." It can be added that "up to 30 years in prison", although Vadim Konoshonok is considered not guilty until the court's decision.
--------------
Alexei Braiman, a defendant in the case of conspiracy to purchase dual-use products and transfer them to the structures of the Russian military-industrial complex (MIC) in circumvention of sanctions, agreed to a deal with the United States Attorney's Office.
According to the materials of the case, considered in federal court for the Eastern District of New York, Bryman agreed to plead guilty to one count - conspiracy to defraud the United States.
By order of the court, the Probation Service must submit its Presentence Report no later than November 25, after which the date of sentencing will be agreed.
Recall that within the framework of this criminal case, in addition to Alexei Braiman and Vadim Ermolenko, who lived in the United States, charges were brought against five citizens of the Russian Federation - Yevgeny Grinin, Alexei Ippolitov, Boris Livshits, Svetlana Skvortsova and Vadim Konoshchenko, as well as Nikolaos Bogonikolos, who has Greek citizenship. The latter, according to the case file, is the founder and president of the Aratos Group, which unites defense and technology companies in the Netherlands and Greece.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the defendants were allegedly linked to Moscow-registered companies engaged in the procurement of "advanced electronics and advanced test equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex and research sector."
"The defendants illegally acquired and exported highly sensitive, strictly controlled, electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, in quantum computing and find other military applications," the US Department of Justice noted.
In light of the conflict in Ukraine, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce has tightened licensing requirements for the export of products to the Russian Federation.
In connection with the criminal case initiated in the United States, Konoshchenok was detained in Estonia in December 2022. Bryman and Ermolenko were detained in the United States. Bogonikolos, in turn, was detained in France on May 9 this year in connection with suspicions of conspiracy for the purpose of electronic fraud (wire fraud conspiracy) and smuggling, the issue of his extradition to the United States is being decided.
Konoshchenko was extradited to the United States in mid-July this year, where he appeared in court, refusing to admit guilt. Later, he was pardoned by decree of US President Joe Biden and returned to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. Earlier in August, a New York court received a petition demanding to terminate the proceedings against Konoshchenko, who insists on his innocence.
