An individual of Russian-Canadian nationality has confessed to participating in a scheme to bypass US sanctions by exporting $7 million worth of weapons to the Russian military, intended for use in the conflict in Ukraine.
Kristina Puzyreva, 32, admitted her involvement in a money laundering scheme during a court hearing in Brooklyn. The scheme was connected to a secretive international plot to illegally transfer technology to blacklisted entities in Moscow.
Exports included components used in aerial vehicles and guided missile systems that were later found to have been used in Ukraine.
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Puzyreva, who is based in Montreal, now faces a potential sentence of up to two decades behind bars. She faced charges alongside her husband Nikolay Goltsev, 37, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52. Both she and her husband found themselves on a Ukrainian ‘kill list.’
According to US Attorney Breon Peace, Puzyreva confessed on Monday that she played a significant role in the plan. Today’s plea highlights the Eastern District of New York’s commitment to safeguarding national security by preventing the supply of US-sourced military technology to Russia,’ he said.
According to HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan, Puzyreva’s involvement in the conspiracy is connected to 298 shipments of restricted technology, with a value of $7 million, that were sent to the Russian battlefield.
Puzyreva was involved in a complex scheme to evade export controls and sanctions, which included the participation of SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics, Inc., both registered in Brooklyn, New York.
The defendant’s co-conspirators engaged in illegal activities by sourcing, purchasing, and shipping dual-use electronics from US manufacturers to end users, using the SH Brothers and SN Electronics corporate entities.
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The components and integrated circuits were later discovered in Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine, including in UAVs and guided missiles.
A Russian-Tajikistan national, Nasriddinov, was apprehended in Brooklyn, where law enforcement officials discovered a substantial quantity of semiconductors and other electronic devices at his residence.
Goltsev and Puzyreva, a married couple with Russian-Canadian citizenship, were apprehended at a hotel in Manhattan while visiting Nasriddinov.
Prosecutors have stated that approximately $20,000 in cash was seized from them.Officials announced that they have confiscated over $1.1 million from local bank accounts linked to the operation.
This particular case is part of a larger effort led by the US Department of Justice’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The task force was established to ensure compliance with sanctions, export restrictions, and other actions taken in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The scheme was initiated in January 2022, with Brooklyn-based SH Brothers and SN Electronics at the helm. These companies purchased electronic components and integrated circuits from US companies and organized shipments accordingly, as per US authorities.
Officials have confirmed that over 300 shipments, worth approximately $10 million, were found to be illegal. These shipments included electronics that were later discovered in various Russian equipment, such as helicopters, missiles, and tanks, which had been seized in Ukraine.
As per the complaint, it was evident that the defendants were well aware of the military applications of the electronics.