US accuses Russian citizen of illegal technology export

A federal grand jury charges three foreign nationals—a Russian citizen and two Bulgarian citizens—with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Export Administration Reform Act (ECRA), and the Money Laundering Act by purchasing sensitive radiation-resistant circuitry from USA and sending these components to Russia through Bulgaria without the necessary licenses, according to the website US Department of Justice.

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“Time and time again we find that the Russians are trying to gain access to sensitive American technology. The defendants are accused of exporting radiation-hardened chips to Russia knowing it was illegal and setting up a business in Bulgaria to circumvent U.S. law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General for Homeland Security John Demers.

“Today’s indictment demonstrates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice, and our federal partners will pursue those who attempt to evade U.S. export laws wherever our investigations lead. National security remains our top priority. We must never allow our most sensitive technologies to fall into the hands of those who would try to use them against us,” said U.S. Attorney Sofer.

The Export Control Administration, in partnership with the FBI and the Criminal Investigative Protection Service (DCIS), discovered an illegal procurement network that diverted radiation hardened integrated circuits from the United States through a Bulgarian front company in a company in Russia, the official statement said.

The indictment alleges that 48-year-old Russian citizen Ilias Sabirov, 70-year-old Bulgarian citizen Dimitar Dimitrov and 46-year-old Bulgarian citizen Milan Dimitrov used the Bulgarian company Multi Technology Integration Group EEOD (MTIG) to receive controlled goods from the United States and send them to Russia. Under US export control laws, goods cannot be shipped to Russia without the permission of the US government.

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According to the indictment, Sabirov is the head of two Russian companies - Kosmos Komplekt and Sovtest Komp LLC - and controls MTIG. Both Dimitar Dimitrov and Milan Dimitrov worked for Sabirov at Cosmos Complect and MTIG.

In 2014, defendants met with a supplier of radiation-resistant components in Austin and were informed that radiation-resistant circuitry could not be shipped to Russia due to U.S. trade restrictions. After this, Sabirov founded MTIG in Bulgaria and bought controlled electronic circuits. The radiation-resistant properties of these circuits made them resistant to damage or failure in harsh space environments. It is for these reasons that the export of parts was controlled by the US government. The parts were shipped to Bulgaria in 2015, and soon after MTIG sent them to Sabirov's companies in Russia. Sovtest Comp LLC transferred more than $1 million to MTIG for controlled spare parts in the USA.

During the same period, MTIG, at Sabirov's direction, ordered more than $1,7 million in other electronic components made by another American electronics manufacturer. Sabirov purchased these parts to fulfill part of his contract for Sovtest Comp LLC. Again, the parts were shipped from the US to Bulgaria, where they were simply repackaged and shipped to Russia.

At the end of 2018, the Export Control Officer of the Trade Department interviewed Milan Dimitrov during a visit to MTIG to determine if MTIG had any radiation-hardened components in Bulgaria. Milan Dimitrov, in particular, fraudulently denied sending components to Russia.

The jury accused Sabirov, Dimitr Dimitrov and Milan Dimitrov on two counts of IEEPA violations and one count of money laundering. Each count carries up to 20 years of imprisonment in federal prison after sentencing.

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In connection with the disclosure of these allegations, the Department of Commerce has listed these names and companies as legal entities by the Bureau of Industry and Security. If anyone is listed on this list, they will need a license to export any goods from the United States. The list establishes the presumption that no such license will be granted.

The list of legal entities identifies foreign parties that are prohibited from receiving some or all of the goods under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) unless the exporter is licensed. These individuals pose a greater risk of diversion to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, terrorism, or other activities that are contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests.

The Department of Justice recalls that in all cases, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

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