European Individuals, Entities Charged With US Violating Export Laws

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut charged a group of European individuals and entities with violating U.S. export laws by trying to ship a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia, the office announced Oct. 19, the day after the indictment was unsealed. The investigation was coordinated by the Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency group that also works with other countries to enforce U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. alleged that, starting in 2018, Latvian citizens Eriks Mamonovs and Vadims Ananics operated CNC Weld and conspired with Ukrainian Stanislav Romanyuk, a resident of Estonia, and others, including Latvian national Janis Uzbalis, individuals in Russia and a Russia-based company to violate U.S. export laws. The group tried to export to Russia a Connecticut-made jig grinder. The high-precision grinding machine doesn't require a license to export to EU countries but requires one to export or reexport to Russia given its potential use in nuclear proliferation programs.

The defendants did not apply for or get a license from the Commerce Department to ship or reexport the grinder to Russia as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Mamonovs, Ananics, Romanyuk, Uzbalis and others face charges of conspiracy, which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence; violating the Export Control Reform Act, which has a 20-year maximum sentence; smuggling goods from the U.S., with a maximum 10-year sentence; and international money laundering conspiracy, with a 20-year maximum sentence.