Kansas man pleads guilty to illegally exporting aircraft tech

Douglas Robertson admitted to exporting advanced aircraft electronic equipment to customers in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the Department of Justice said in a Tuesday statement. He conspired with several others to knowingly falsify export forms to break U.S. export laws from 2020-2023. He could face up to 65 years in prison for the charges of violating export control laws, conspiracy, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3.

Illegally selling advanced U.S. technology to adversaries is appalling and puts Americans at risk, said FBI National Security Branch Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells. The DOJ will not tolerate those who undermine export controls against Russian aggression in Ukraine, added National Security Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen. Robertson’s fellow Kansas co-conspirator Cyril Buyanovsky in December pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the scheme. Oleg Chistyakov of Latvia also faces charges in connection with the conspiracy.

What did the conspiracy entail? Robertson filed falsified documentation when exporting products and sent goods through intermediary countries like Armenia and Cyprus, according to the DOJ. He also lied about the export values and end product users. Conspirators also sent payments through bank accounts in Armenia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Czech Republic to cover their tracks. Authorities will continue prosecuting individuals for lying on export forms and transshipping items through third countries, said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew A. Axelrod.

In what kind of technology did Roberson deal? The DOJ did not elaborate on the exact types of advanced avionics Robertson trafficked. Officials did share that the conspirators smuggled a broken Russian Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System to the United States for repairs and then shipped it back to Russia’s Federal Security Service. The FSB was sanctioned even before Moscow’s 2020 invasion of Ukraine for its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to the DOJ.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report about a Canadian woman pleading guilty to conspiring to send weapon parts to Russia.