Sending Aircraft Parts to Russia Lands Two Men to Federal Prison
Two men who ran an elaborate scheme to evade export controls and send aircraft parts to Russia are headed to federal prison after pleading guilty.
The suspects, both Russian nationals living in Florida, defrauded customers by presenting themselves as brokers seeking aircraft parts on behalf of clients in other countries. But prosecutors say they intended to send the parts to Russia all along. Exports to Russia have been restricted since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
One suspect, Oleg Sergeyevhich Patsulya, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, while the other, Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin, was sentenced to two years.
“A Bigger Betrayal”
Patsulya committed the crimes shortly after being granted a visa to enter the United States.
“It’s hard to imagine a bigger betrayal of the United States than what you did,” said federal district judge Dominic Lanza of the District of Arizona during the sentencing hearing.
Scheme Details
According to court documents, the scheme started around May 2022, when Patslya, Besedin, and several others conspired to obtain orders for various aircraft parts and components from Russian buyers, primary commercial airline companies. They then worked to acquire the parts from U.S. suppliers, including a company in Arizona.
In one instance, federal agents intercepted multiple shipments of a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737 aircraft, before it could be shipped to Russia. Prosecutors say the group lied to the suppliers and said it was going to other countries. The lies occurred both orally and on export control forms.
Asset Forfeiture
According to prosecutors, Patsulya’s company received more than $4.5 million from Russian airline companies for the illegal shipments. The money was sent via bank accounts in Turkey.
As part of the plea deal, Patsulya must forfeit assets in that amount, including a boat and a luxury car.
The investigation was led by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Phoenix Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Phoenix Field Office.
The case was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, “an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.”
