Estonian citizens Paid In the United States for purchasing US-made electronic equipment on behalf of the Russian government and military.
On March 28, 2023, 45-year-old Andrey Shevlyakov was arrested in Tallinn. He has been charged with 18 counts of conspiracy and other charges. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, Shevlyakov allegedly operated a front company used to import sensitive electronic equipment from US manufacturers. The goods were then shipped to Russia, circumventing export restrictions.
Purchased items included analog-to-digital converters, low-noise prescalers and synthesizers found in defense systems. Shevlyakov is also accused of trying to acquire hacking tools such as He Rapid7 Metasploit Pro, a legitimate penetration testing and adversary simulation software.
Shevryakov was placed on the Entity List by the U.S. government in 2012 for acting as a Russian procurement agent, but used a “pseudonym and a web of front companies” to evade regulations and “manage complex logistics operations.” It is said that it was executed. Smuggling is frequent across Russian borders. โ
Shevlyakov is estimated to have exported at least $800,000 worth of goods from US electronics manufacturers and distributors through Shell companies such as Yaxart, Anmarna and Marnik from around October 2012 to January 2022.
โFor more than a decade, defendants allegedly flouted U.S. export controls to acquire classified electronic equipment from U.S. manufacturers on behalf of the Russian government,โ said Breon Peace Federation. Prosecutor said.
