Support The Moscow Times!

Texan Charged With Smuggling Night-Vision Scopes

DALLAS — U.S. authorities have charged a Texan woman with trying to smuggle three night-vision rifle sights to Russia.

A federal court affidavit filed in New York accuses Anna Fermanova, 24, of suburban Plano near Dallas, of trying to move the scopes in March without the proper export licenses.

The document says the devices were seized as Fermanova was boarding a plane for Moscow at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The case was first disclosed on the web site Thesmokinggun.com. It comes weeks after Anna Chapman and nine other suspects pleaded guilty to being Russian spies.

But Fermanova's attorney, Scott Palmer, said Fermanova's case does not involve spying. He said Fermanova bought the rifle sights online for a friend of her husband, who lives in Moscow, and that they were to be used for hunting.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more