The Department of Justice announced that it has blocked the unlawful export of dual-purpose electronics used in Russian military drone operations.
According to a release from the department, Nikolay Grigorev, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by participating in an illegal export control scheme involving the shipment of electronic components from the U.S to companies affiliated with Russia’s military.
Grigorev and his partners, Nikita Arkhipov and Artem Oloviannikov, used a Brooklyn-based company, Quality Life Cue LLC (QLC), to facilitate this illegal activity.
Between October 22nd, 2021 and February 22rd, 2nd 20th 20, QLC received wires worth approximately $272,000 from a St. Petersburg, Russia-based company called SMT-Ilogic. These funds were then used to purchase dual-use electronic components.
In June 2023, a court authorized search warrant of Grigorev’s residence resulted in the successful seizure of over 11,500 electronic components that were awaiting export to Russia.
Presently, Grigorev faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
