US arrests 2 Russians, 1 American in technology plot

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – The U.S. on Thursday arrested two Russian nationals and a Brooklyn resident who are accused of exporting controlled technology that has military applications to Russia.

Authorities arrested naturalized U.S. citizen Alexey Barysheff on charges of “illegally exporting controlled technology from the United States to end-users in Russia,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Russian nationals Dmitrii Aleksandrovich Karpenko and Alexey Krutilin were arrested in Denver, Colorado, on charges of conspiring with Barysheff.

The trio are accused of using two front companies – BKLN Spectra, Inc. and UIP Techno Corp. to purchase and export controlled microelectronics technology to Russia, the department said.

The items included “digital-to-analog converters and integrated circuits, which are frequently used in a wide range of military systems, including radar and surveillance systems, missile guidance systems and satellites.”

U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers said, “U.S. export laws exist to prevent potentially dangerous technology from falling into the wrong hands.”

"Those who seek to evade the scrutiny of U.S. regulatory and law enforcement agencies by operating in the shadows present a danger to our national security and our allies abroad,” he said.

Barysheff is expected to make an initial court appearance in Brooklyn later Thursday. Karpenko and Krutilin are expected to appear in a Denver court.

The defendants face up to 25 years in prison and a $1 million fine.