One American and two Russians were arrested Thursday on charges of stealing military-grade microelectronics from American manufacturers and smuggling the goods to Russia, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
The stolen microelectronics include digital-to-analog converters and integrated circuits used in radar, missile guidance, satellites, and surveillance systems. Export of these items is strictly controlled by the Department of Commerce.
Those arrested include Alexey Barysheff, a naturalized American citizen and Brooklyn, New York, resident. Aleksandrovich Karpenko and Alexey Krutilin, both Russian citizens, were arrested in Denver, Colorado, for conspiring with Barysheff and unnamed “others” in the alleged illegal operation.
American authorities accuse Barysheff of setting up two Brooklyn-based companies (BKLN Spectra, Inc. and UIP Techno Corp) to buy and export the cutting-edge military technology. They allegedly hid information about their exports' end destination and violated numerous U.S. export and national security laws.
“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,” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez said in a statement.
The three defendants each face 25 years in prison and fines up to $1 million.
