On video: Celebrations in Kherson after the withdrawal of Russian forces (Photo: Reuters)
The American Ministry of Justice announced today (Saturday) that it accuses Alexei Breiman, an Israeli permanent resident in the United States, of attempting to smuggle equipment to the Russian army and violating American sanctions.
Along with Breiman, six other suspects were charged in the act, five Russian citizens, and an American citizen.
According to the indictment, Breiman and the other defendants were in contact with Russian companies, which worked with the Russian Federal Security Service.
The seven are accused of selling and smuggling sensitive military electronic equipment, as well as ammunition and weapons.
It is also suspected that some of the smuggled "sensitive electronic" equipment was used to create nuclear weapons.
Alexey Breiman (photo: surfers' photos, according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law)
According to federal prosecutors, Breiman and his partner used their online craft supplies store as a cover to smuggle the prohibited equipment into Russia.
According to the suspicion, Breiman would send the smuggled equipment to Estonia, and at the same time he would create fake invoices and shipping documents, so that it would appear that the packages were sent as part of the art materials store.
"They got a lot of packages. I guess it makes sense now," Brayman's neighbor Amy told the Boston Globe.
Breiman's partner, Daria, was also arrested.
"The defendants made a series of sophisticated purchases, through which they illegally obtained sensitive American technology, to aid the Russian war machine," said Brown Peace, the attorney for the Eastern District of New York, "We will not rest in the vigorous pursuit of people who illegally purchase American technology, which will be used to promote Russia's brutal war on democracy."
More in Walla!
This is the most dangerous thing for our dogs.
So why don't we know enough about it?
In partnership with MSD Animal Health
Breiman and his wife sent a weapon under the guise of a craft supplies store (photo: surfers' photos, according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law)
On Tuesday, Breiman, along with the other American defendant Vadim Yarmolenko, is expected to stand trial in federal court.
"At this point Mr. Breiman has only been accused, he has not been convicted of anything," said Breiman's lawyer, David Lazarus, to the CNN channel, "Like all the accused, Mr. Breiman is also entitled to the presumption of innocence."
If convicted, Breiman faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
The other suspects in the act are Yevgeny Grinin, Alexey Ipolitov, Boris Liebshitz, Svetlana Skbortsova, Vadim Konoshchanuk.
According to the indictment, Grinin and Skvortsova were responsible for the shipping routes, while Leibshitz, using fake American bank accounts, procured the details.
If he is convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, Breiman (photo: surfers' photos, according to Section 27 A of the Copyright Law)
Konoshchenok, who is suspected to have been an officer in the Russian army, was arrested in Estonia last week after allegedly trying to smuggle a large amount of ammunition and dozens of weapons, including US-made sniper rifles, into Russia in late November.
According to American officials, the procedures to extradite Konoshchenok to the United States will begin soon.
news
world news
America
Tags
Russia
United States
smuggling