Virginia Executives Charged with Export Control Violations
Eleview International Inc., along with its senior executives Oleg Nayandin and Vitaliy Borisenko, appeared in the Eastern District of Virginia following charges of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. The charges come amid allegations of circumventing export restrictions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division remarked, “As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.” Olsen emphasized the importance of U.S. companies complying with laws that safeguard national security.
Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce, highlighted the alleged schemes, stating, “This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia.” He stressed the department’s commitment to bringing those who flout these rules to justice.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia added, “We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners.” Aber underscored the imperative of guarding against such transfers.
The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, revealed that Eleview International Inc., a freight forwarding business based in Virginia, allegedly conspired to export goods and technology from the U.S. to Russia from March 2022 to June 2023. The company used an e-commerce platform to fulfill Russian orders, shipping items via countries such as Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan.
Details of Alleged Schemes
The Turkey scheme involved exporting approximately $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, intended for a Russian company supplying the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service (FSB). These exports reportedly had military applications.
In the Finland scheme, about $3.45 million worth of goods were exported to a fictitious end user in Finland through Eleview’s e-commerce website. Labels with Russian postal service tracking numbers were affixed to packages for easy redirection to Russian customers. The goods included critical electronic components used in Russian military drones.
The Kazakhstan scheme saw the export of approximately $1.47 million worth of goods through an entity in Kazakhstan known for delivering to Russia. The items included controlled dual-use technologies.
Legal Proceedings and Investigations
If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, subject to the court’s consideration of sentencing guidelines and other factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr, alongside Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle.
This case is part of the coordinated efforts by the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and Task Force KleptoCapture. These interagency task forces aim to enforce sanctions and prevent critical technology from reaching authoritarian regimes.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
