International Courant
An alleged Russian intelligence officer has pleaded not responsible in america to prices of violating sanctions, US export controls and cash laundering for smuggling US electronics and munitions into Russia to assist its struggle towards Ukraine.
Russian citizen Vadim Konoshchenok, who was extradited from Estonia to the US on Thursday, entered the plea at a listening to in federal court docket in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday.
US Justice of the Peace Choose Ramon Reyes ordered Konoshchenok to be held pending trial after prosecutors referred to as him a flight danger.
Sabrina Shroff, a US-based lawyer for Konoshchenok, declined to remark, and the Russian embassy in Washington didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Konoshchenok, 48, was detained by Estonian authorities in October 2022 whereas making an attempt to enter Russia with 35 sorts of semiconductors and digital elements, a few of which have been topic to US export controls. He was additionally charged with smuggling US-made ammunition generally used for sniper rifles, based on prices filed towards him.
“Konoshchenok has additionally been repeatedly stopped by Estonian border officers making an attempt to smuggle lots of of 1000’s of US and export-controlled shells into Russia, together with 6.5mm, 7mm, .338 and .308 magnum shells, that are generally utilized by snipers. , in addition to military-grade .223 bullets,” the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Jap District of New York mentioned in an announcement.
“Up to now, greater than half a ton (450 kg) of military-grade Konoshchenok-coupled munitions have been recovered or banned earlier than being smuggled into Russia,” the assertion mentioned.
Konoshchenok was reportedly a central determine in a seven-member smuggling ring, together with 5 Russians and two People who operated “beneath the path of Russian intelligence” to acquire American electronics and different items restricted by US export controls.
He faces as much as 30 years in jail for conspiracy, export management violations, smuggling and cash laundering.
Andrew Adams of the US Division of Justice mentioned Konoshchenok “allegedly offered superior US-developed applied sciences and munitions to Russia to be used of their unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine”.
In keeping with prosecutors, the suspect informed his co-conspirators in digital communications that he charged a ten % payment for dealing in managed objects.
“Cannot be much less. Sanctions,” he wrote, based on prosecutors.
Prisoner swaps
Konoshchenok’s extradition to the US comes as Washington makes an attempt to barter the return of US residents held by Moscow.
Amongst them are Paul Whelan, a company safety officer convicted of espionage by a Russian court docket, and Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, charged with espionage.
The US denies that both was concerned in espionage, however has been negotiating to see in the event that they could possibly be traded for Russians it holds.
Final December, Washington traded captured Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout for American basketball star Brittney Griner, who had been jailed months earlier in Russia on drug prices.
In April 2022, Russia launched Trevor Reed, a former Marine imprisoned two years earlier for assaulting Russian law enforcement officials.
On the identical time, the US launched a Russian pilot imprisoned for drug trafficking.
The US can be detaining Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cash launderer extradited from Greece final yr, and Vladimir Dunaev, a malware and ransomware hacker extradited from South Korea in 2021.
And Washington is searching for the extradition from Brazil of Sergey Cherkasov, an alleged Russian spy who attended graduate college in Washington beneath deep cowl.
Konoshchenok’s prosecution comes as US authorities look to step up enforcement of export controls and sanctions to impede Moscow’s struggle in Ukraine.
His subsequent scheduled trial is July 31.
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Alleged Russian agent pleads not responsible to smuggling US expertise and weapons | Warfare information Russia-Ukraine
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