Current:Home > InvestFeds accuse 3 people of illegally shipping tech components used in weapons to Russia -Wealth Empowerment Academy
Feds accuse 3 people of illegally shipping tech components used in weapons to Russia
View
Date:2025-04-12 02:32:08
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a New York resident and two Canadian citizens with exporting millions of dollars in technology to Russia, including components allegedly used in military gear seized in Ukraine.
In a criminal complaint, the Department of Justice alleged that Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52, of Brooklyn; Nikolay Goltsev, 37, and Kristina Puzyreva, 32, both of Montreal, Canada, participated in a global procurement scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian entities, including companies linked to the country's military.
The shipments included semiconductors, integrated circuits and other dual-use electronic components later found in Russian weapons and signal intelligence equipment in Ukraine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Nasriddinov, a dual citizen of Russia and Tajikistan, was arrested on Tuesday in Brooklyn. Goltsev and Puzyreva were arrested at a hotel in Manhattan during a trip to New York to visit Nasriddinov, according to prosecutors. The three were charged with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and to commit wire fraud.
"As alleged, the defendants evaded sanctions, shipping equipment to Russia vital for their precision-guided weapons systems, some of which has been used on the battlefield in Ukraine," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division said in a statement announcing the charges.
The three defendants were aware that the equipment being shipped to Russia had military uses, the complaint states. Attorneys for Nasriddinov, Goltsev and Puzyreva could not immediately be identified.
Electronic components bought from U.S. companies
The U.S. expanded existing sanctions and export controls on Russia after the country's invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. At the time, Russia already faced sanctions linked to its 2014 incursion into Ukraine, use of chemical weapons and election interference.
According to the Justice Department's complaint, Goltsev used aliases such as "Nick Stevens" or "Gio Ross" to take orders from Russian defense and other entities. He and Nasriddinov allegedly bought electronic components from U.S. companies and then arranged for the items to be sent to several locations in Brooklyn. Prosecutors said the two then shipped the equipment to other countries, including Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China and the United Arab Emirates, where they were rerouted to Russia.
Puzyreva is accused of overseeing bank accounts and executing financial transactions linked to the alleged scheme, which prosecutors said involved more than 300 shipments valued at $10 million.
- In:
- Ukraine
- Russia
Alain Sherter covers business and economic affairs for CBSNews.com.
TwitterveryGood! (66)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Amazon announces upcoming discount event, Prime Big Deal Days in October: What to know
- New York City man charged with stealing sword, bullhorn from Coach Rick Pitino’s St. John’s office
- Boy, 8, found dead in pond near his family's North Carolina home: 'We brought closure'
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- NASA Reveals Plan to Return Stranded Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to Earth
- Scott Servais' firing shows how desperate the Seattle Mariners are for a turnaround
- NASA Reveals Plan to Return Stranded Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to Earth
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Delaware election officials communicated with lieutenant governor’s office amid finance scandal
Ranking
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Suspect charged with murder and animal cruelty in fatal carjacking of 80-year-old dog walker
- NASA astronauts who will spend extra months at the space station are veteran Navy pilots
- Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber Are Parents: We’re Confident You’ll Love Their Rhode to Baby
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Boy, 8, found dead in pond near his family's North Carolina home: 'We brought closure'
- The lessons we learned about friendship from 'The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat'
- American Hockey League mandates neck guards to prevent cuts from skate blades
Recommendation
Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
Top workplaces: Your chance to be deemed one of the top workplaces in the US
You Won’t Believe These Designer Michael Kors Bags Are on Sale Starting at $29 and Under $100
ESPN College Gameday: Pat McAfee pounds beers as crew starts season in Ireland
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Rare wild cat spotted in Vermont for the first time in six years: Watch video
Norway proposes relaxing its abortion law to allow the procedure until 18th week of pregnancy
Erica Lee Carter, daughter of the late US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, will seek to finish her term