A Brooklyn man and two Montreal residents have all been indicted with conspiracy and other charges for their alleged participation in a technology export scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian entities, United States Attorney Breon Peace announced this week.
52-year-old Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, a Brooklyn resident and dual citizen of Russia and Tajikistan, was arrested Tuesday morning in his home city.
37-year-old Nikolay Goltsev and 32-year-old Kristina Puzyreva, both Russian-Canadian nationals, were detained by authorities in Manhattan during a trip to visit Nasriddinov, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
According to the investigation, the trio of men allegedly used two corporate entities registered in Brooklyn — SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc. — to facilitate their global procurement plans.
Through these entities, it is alleged that the men unlawfully sourced, purchased and shipped millions of dollars in dual-use electronics to multiple end users in Russia, violating U.S. sanctions in the process.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a number of electronic components that were allegedly sourced by the three men were reportedly discovered in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment that have aided the country with its invasion of Ukraine
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Peace. “Individuals and companies in the Eastern District should know that our Office will use all tools available to prosecute those who evade sanctions to aid hostile nation states.”
More than $1.1 million in proceeds were seized from domestic bank accounts on Tuesday, October 31.
All of the defendants were detained at arraignment. There are no please as of yet, according to the Department of Justice.