Estonian citizen bought American technology for Russia: he faces 20 years in prison

An Estonian citizen is accused of helping the Russian military to acquire American electronics, including components for radar, and computer hacking software. This is stated on the site. US Department of Justice.

An 18-count indictment was released in Brooklyn charging Andrey Shevlyakov, an Estonian citizen, with conspiracy to purchase American-made electronics for the Russian government and military.

Shevlyakov was arrested on March 28, 2023 in Estonia. During his arrest, the Estonian seized incoming parcels addressed to Shevlyakov's front companies, including one containing about 130 kilograms of radio equipment, according to the indictment and other court documents.

“For more than a decade, the defendant has allegedly purchased electronics from US manufacturers for the Russian government in violation of US export controls,” said Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

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“For years, Shevlyakov’s ingenious network of deception allowed him to purchase American-made electronics for the Russian military,” said FBI Special Agent in Houston James Smith. “His illegal acquisition of sophisticated American technology endangered citizens in both Ukraine and the United States.”

According to the indictment and other court documents, Shevlyakov purchased sensitive electronics from US manufacturers for Russian end users, including defense contractors and other Russian government agencies. Most of these items would not be available to Russian end users if they were ordered directly to ship to Russia.

Among the items Shevlyakov purchased were low-noise prescalers and synthesizers (used to conduct high-frequency communications) and analog-to-digital converters (these can be found in most protection systems that must respond to environmental conditions, including software-defined radios, avionics, missiles, and electronic warfare systems Shevlyakov's communications with Russian clients included an open discussion about whether certain orders contained "military" goods.

Shevlyakov tried to acquire tools for hacking computers. In May 2020, one of Shevlyakov's shell companies exchanged messages with a Russian citizen about acquiring a licensed copy of Metasploit Pro, a US-made software tool used to infiltrate computer networks.

Metasploit is designed to assess network vulnerabilities, but has long been widely used by computer hackers. The license to use Metasploit Pro costs approximately $15. In the email, the person asked Shevlyakov's front company to acquire Metasploit and detailed a history of previous failed attempts to acquire the software through third parties in countries outside of Russia.

This person explained that the software was "dual-use" and, accordingly, "selling to Russia is almost impossible." Around June 1, 2020, the shell company email address responded with prices for various versions of Metasploit Pro.

To deliver his goods, Shevlyakov undertook a complex logistical operation involving frequent smuggling trips across the Russian border by himself and by others. Shevlyakov did this despite being on the list maintained by the Department of Commerce. This list includes individuals and companies that are prohibited from exporting goods from the United States without a license.

Shevlyakov was added to the legal entity list in 2012 after he was identified by the US government as a procurement agent tasked with acquiring US technology for Russian government and military end users. Shevlyakov used fictitious names and a network of shell companies to circumvent the list's restrictions.

If found guilty, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.