Two Russian nationals have confessed to illegally exporting cutting-edge electronics used in military hardware from the United States.
Dmitry Karpenko, 33, and Alexei Krutilin, 27, were arrested in Denver, Colorado on Oct. 6, 2016.
U.S. authorities accused the men of plotting to obtain military-grade electronics from American manufacturers before sending them to Russia without government permission.
The United States restricts the export
of equipment which could have a “significant contribution to the
military potential of other nations.”
The items targeted by the men, which
included integrated circuits used in surveillance and missile
guidance systems, require a special license to be exported to Russia.
They planned to ship the electronics to Finland in a bid to conceal their true destination before sending them onto Russia, the Justice Department said.
The men now face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
