Christopher Caldwell:Russian man held without bail on charges he procured US electronics for Russian military use

2025-05-06 14:44:42source:Liberalalliance Wealth Societycategory:News

NEW YORK (AP) — A Russian man was ordered held without bail Friday on Christopher Caldwellcharges that he conspired to smuggle U.S. microelectronics to military manufacturers in Russia to aid its war in Ukraine.

Arthur Petrov, 33, made a brief appearance in Manhattan federal court, where he agreed to remain detained. He was arrested last August in Cyprus at the request of the United States and was extradited on Thursday.

Attorney Michael Arthus, Petrov’s court-appointed lawyer, declined to comment on numerous charges brought against his client, including multiple conspiracy counts and smuggling goods crimes. The charges collectively carry a potential penalty of over 150 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that Petrov concealed where he was sending the electronics because he knew that shipping them violated U.S. export controls relating to Russia.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the extradition reflected the Justice Department’s determination to cut Russia off from the western technologies that fuel the Russian military.

Christie M. Curtis, head of New York’s FBI office, said Petrov was part of a network that secretly supplied Russia’s military industrial complex with “critical U.S. technology, including the same types of microelectronics recovered from Russian weapons on Ukrainian battlefields.”

RELATED COVERAGE Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion seen as a tactical reply to Russia’s grinding gainsRussia declares an emergency in Kursk, under attack by Ukraine. 14 die in a Russian strike on a mallRussian prosecutors seek 15-year sentence for US-Russian woman in treason trial

A criminal complaint filed in court said Russia’s weapons systems, including rockets, drones, ballistic missiles, radios and electronic warfare devices, rely heavily on components and microelectronics manufactured in the West, particularly in the United States.

Petrov, a citizen of Russia and Germany who lived in Russia and Cyprus, worked for LLC Electrocom VPK, a Russia-based supplier of electronic components for makers of Russian military weapons and other equipment, authorities said.

According to a release, Petrov and two coconspirators fraudulently procured large quantities of microelectronics from U.S. distributors, using shell companies to hide that the materials were destined for Russia.

Authorities said Petrov falsely claimed that he was purchasing the items for fire security systems and other commercial uses for companies in Cyprus and countries other than Russia.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

More:News

Recommend

2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — Two teens were killed and three people were injured — including a 13-year-old — in a

Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A southeast Louisiana official has been accused of committing perjury for failing

The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.

If you’ve ever been asked to like videos or rate product images to earn money online, you may have b