The Indictment of Sergeya Engineering, Sertal LLC, and a Russian Navy Embedded System, as Known by Foreign Assets Control

The defendants used a global network of shell companies and bank accounts to acquire and ship advanced electronics and equipment to Russia, which they could use for military and space based applications, according to the indictment.

The case, described in an indictment unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, accuses the seven defendants of acting on behalf of two Moscow companies, Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, that prosecutors say operate under the direction of Russia’s intelligence services.

Among those items, according to the indictment, were a “chip set” of 45 advanced semiconductors; a $45,000 “low noise cesium frequency synthesizer”; high-quality spectrum analyzers used in electronic testing; and pricey oscilloscopes and signal generators. Many are so-called dual-use devices that can be employed for military or civilian purposes.

The US government imposed more sanctions on shipments to Russia in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine. According to prosecutors, Buyanovsky and Robertson talked about their options for continuing to send shipments to at least one client in Russia.

When it announced the sanctions, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said those being targeted were “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.” The charges were announced on Tuesday by Breon Peace, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn.

The defendants were identified as Mr. Grinin, Boris Livshits, and Alexey Ippolitov, who are all from Moscow.

If they’re found guilty of the most serious counts, the defendants could face up to 30 years in prison. There are four of them that remain at large.

Two people, one American and one Israeli, were charged on Tuesday with conspiring to kill a person.

Mr. Brayman was released on a $150,000 bond and subject to conditions that included turning in his passports and wearing an electronic monitoring device. David Lazarus said that Mr. Brayman was entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Mr. Yermolenko was released after posting a $500,000 bond partially secured by his house. Mr. Yermolenko had a lawyer named Nora Hirozawa who declined to comment.

Task Force KleptoCapture: A global campaign against money laundering and sanctions evasion in support of the Kremlin and Russian military

The alleged FSB officer was arrested in Estonia last week after allegedly attempting to smuggle twenty cases of US-made sniper rifle ammunition into Russia in late November.

Ippolitov, also a Russian national, would be requesting for Russian nationals to give in to his requests for US sanctions items.

The two men are alleged to have sold their company equipment and services to Russian companies, including repair services for Russian aircrafts. To get around US sanctions, prosecutors say Buyanovsky and Robertson concealed who their clients were, lied about how much products cost and were paid through foreign bank accounts.

Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky and Douglas Robertson are being accused of exporting goods without a license, as well as failing to file electronic export information.

Their arrest is the most recent move by the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, made up of federal prosecutors, investigators and analysts, which has worked for the past year to wage a global campaign against money laundering and sanctions evasion in support of the Russian government. Its work has resulted in over 30 indictments against sanctioned supporters of the Kremlin and Russian military, according to the Justice Department.

A KanRus shipment in February 2022 was flagged by the Department of Commerce because it did not have the proper licensing, according to the indictment.

Soon after, Robertson, who is a commercial pilot, allegedly told a Russia-based client that “things are complicated in the USA” and that invoices needed to be less than $50,000 because otherwise there would be “more paperwork and visibility,” adding that “this is NOT the right time for either.” A shipment to that Russian client was later sent through Laos, prosecutors say.