Armenian Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling Controlled Goods to Russia

DOJ announced the sentencing of an Armenian national to 26 months in federal prison for conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods including items usable in semiconductor manufacturing to Russia via Armenia without the required BIS licenses under the Export Administration Regulations, in violation of sanctions and export restrictions imposed after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The defendant acted as a straw purchaser for a Russian co-conspirator company that was later added to OFAC's SDN List in February 2023, and instructed the co-conspirator on opening an Armenian bank account for sanctions-evasion purposes while misrepresenting end-user information to U.S. suppliers. The individual was extradited from Germany in August 2025 and pleaded guilty in April 2026. The case was investigated by the FBI San Antonio Counterintelligence Task Force with BIS and DOJ's Office of International Affairs, which secured the extradition.