Man charged in Brooklyn Federal Court for helping Russian military

April 7, 2023 Robert Abruzzese

The Brooklyn Eastern District Federal Courthouse

The Eastern District Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn.
Photos: Robert Abruzzese/Brooklyn Eagle

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BROOKLYN — Brooklyn prosecutors unsealed an eighteen-count indictment against an Estonian national accusing him of conspiracy to acquire sensitive U.S.-made electronics on behalf of the Russian government and military.

Andrey Shevlyakov, who appeared on a U.S. government list of banned importers, used front companies and false names to evade restrictions. Authorities arrested him on March 28, 2023, in Estonia, seizing inbound shipments addressed to his front companies, including 286 pounds of radio equipment.

If convicted, Shevlyakov faces up to 20 years in prison.

“As alleged, for more than a decade, the defendant has been acquiring sensitive electronics from U.S. manufacturers on behalf of the Russian government, in defiance of U.S. export controls,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “Our Office will not relent in its efforts to stop those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology for Russia or any other sanctioned countries, entities or individuals.”

According to prosecutors, Shevlyakov’s communications with Russia-based customers included explicit discussions of “military” goods in certain orders. To fulfill orders, he allegedly ran an intricate logistics operation involving frequent smuggling trips across the Russian border by himself and others.

Shevlyakov’s purchases allegedly included low-noise pre-scalers and synthesizers, used to conduct high-frequency communications, and analog-to-digital converters found in software-defined radio, plane, missiles and electronic warfare systems.

Shevlyakov also sought to acquire computer hacking tools, including Metasploit Pro, a U.S.-made software tool used to penetrate networks. Metasploit is designed to assess network vulnerabilities but is also widely used by computer hackers.

Despite being listed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List, which designates individuals and companies barred from exporting items from the U.S. without a license, Shevlyakov used false names and a web of front companies to evade restrictions. He was added to the Entity List in 2012 after the U.S. government identified him as a procurement agent pursuing U.S. technology for Russian government and military end users.