Five Charged in Scheme to Export Thermal Imaging Scopes and Night Vision Goggles to Russia, in Violation of Arms Export Control Act

Illegally exporting to Russia…riflescopes, weapons sights, monoculars, and night-vision goggles

National Security Division, U.S. Dept of Justice @DOJNatSec

Five Charged in Scheme to Export Thermal Imaging Scopes and Night Vision Goggles to Russia, in Violation of Arms Export Control Act

justice.govFive Charged in Scheme to Export Thermal Imaging Scopes and Night Vision Goggles to Russia, in Violation of Arms Export Control ActA federal grand jury in Los Angeles unsealed an indictment Thursday that accuses five defendants of conspiring to unlawfully export defense articles to Russia. Specifically, the defendants allegedly exported thermal imaging riflescopes and night-vision goggles without a license, in violation of the …

ELENA SHIFRIN, also known as "Alexander Belov", has been charged by Indictment in the Central District of California with the following criminal offenses: Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act, in violation of Title 22 United States Code, Sections § 2778(b)(2), (c) and Title 22 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 121.1, 123.1, and 127.l(a)(4); and, Conspiracy to Commit Offenses Against the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

NDIL-ECF for Case as to Defendant Shifrin: https://ecf.ilnd.uscourts.gov/doc1/067025814910

Defendants VLADIMIR GOHMAN aka “Mike Maru,” - BORIS POLOSIN, IGOR PANCHERNIKOV, aka “Mike Maru,” ELENA SHIFRIN aka “Alexander Belov,” and VLADIMIR PRIDACHA

DOJ-OPA link to Indictment

Both SHIRFRIN and PRIDACHA were arrested on June 17, 2021 and taken into Federal Custody without incident

The indictment states that the defendants;

allegedly obtained many of the items using aliases, falsely assuring the sellers that they would not export the items from the United States. The thermal imaging devices were then exported to co-conspirators in Russia using aliases and false addresses to conceal their activities.

To be clear nothing in the indictment suggests that Company 1 and/or Company 2 did anything unlawful - it was the defendants who materially lied and mislead the companies selling the night vision goggles - which are in fact tightly controlled

Night vision Goggles requires export license

• Trijicon IR Hunter Mark III 60mm Thermal Riflescope, Part Number IRMK3-60;

• Exelis/Harris AN/PSQ-20A Spiral Enhanced Night Vision Goggle;

• BAE Systems UTCxii Universal Thermal Clip-On Sight;

• BAE Systems SkeetIRx Micro Thermal Imaging Monocular, Serial Number 02525;

• BAE Systems UTMx Thermal Monocular;

• Trijicon Reap-IR 35mm Mini Thermal Riflescope, Serial Number 55091;

• Skeet IR-L Micro Thermal Monocular;

• BAE Systems SkeetIRx Micro Thermal Imaging Monocular, Serial Number 02573;

• BAE Systems SkeetIRx Micro Thermal Imaging Monocular, Serial Number 02567; and

• Trijicon Reap-IR 60mm Mini Thermal Riflescope.

Again the companies that sold the night vision goggles are not accused of doing anything unlawful or could harm our National Security —it is the defendants that the Government argues violated laws that regulate the export of the aforementioned night vision goggles;

OBJECT OF THE CONSPIRACY

This conspiracy went on for nearly four years - specifically from December 13, 2016, and continuing until at least on or about October 28, 2020, in Los Angeles County, within the Central District of California… the defendants VLADIMIR GOHMAN aka “Mike Maru”, BORIS POLOSIN, IGOR PANCHERNIKOV, aka “Mike Maru”, ELENA SHIFRIN, aka “Alexander Belov” and VLADIMIR PRIDACHA;

…conspired and agreed with each other to knowingly and willfully export from the United States to Russia defense articles that were covered by the United States Munitions List without first obtaining from the United States Department of State a valid license or other approval for such export…

MEANS BY WHICH THE OBJECT OF THE CONSPIRACY

Look Boris just place the damn orders - do it online and then we will make sure we export but we will lie on the shipping label because our Russian Comrades need these night vision goggles more than the American Military - we cool? Because it’s not like they are going to scan the packages - right.

Defendant GOHMAN would further instruct defendant SHIFRIN to use false sender names and false sender addresses when exporting such items to Russia

…Defendant PANCHERNIKOV would mail defense articles to co-conspirators in Russia without obtaining the required export licenses or filing EEI and would falsely describe the contents of the exports as non-export-controlled items with a value of less than $2,500.

139 separate overt acts

I mean that’s a lot of actual acts

On or about the following dates, in furtherance of the conspiracy and to accomplish its object, defendants GOHMAN, POLOSIN, PANCHERNIKOV, SHIFRIN, and PRIDACHA, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, committed various overt acts within the Central District of California, and elsewhere, including,…

See pages 7 thru 30 of Indictment

You used the Automated Export System? OMFG talk about deep stupid - come on now —I expected better from these defendants… object of the conspiracy;

…namely: (1) to fraudulently and knowingly export from the United States any merchandise, article, or object contrary to any law or regulation of the United States and to receive, conceal, buy, or in any manner facilitate the transportation, concealment, or sale of such merchandise, article, or object prior to exportation, knowing the same to be intended for exportation contrary to any law or regulation of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 554; and

(2) to knowingly fail to file and knowingly submit false and misleading export information through the Automated Export System, in violation of Title 13, United States Code, Section 305(a)(1).

I mean this is not only “deep stupid” but it directly impacts our National Security- again you can pull down the indictment via this DOJ-OPA Link

All five defendants are charged with conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act and face a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The indictment also accuses the five defendants of conspiring to smuggle thermal imaging devices from the United States and file false export information to conceal their activities via the AES - this carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison.

-Filey but come on how dumb could these defendants be? Pretty..