Belorussian Arrested for Smuggling US Aviation Parts to Russia

A Belorussian citizen was extradited from France to the United States on Monday where she faces charges for allegedly selling sensitive aircraft equipment to Russia, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

An FBI investigation into Yana Leonova, 33, allegedly revealed an illegal scheme of importing airplane parts to Russia following the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in May 2022.

The indictment filed against Leonova, who most recently lived in Russia, alleges she used people living in the United States to procure and illegally export avionics and other aircraft equipment and sell it to Russia.

The exported items were for use on private aircraft operated by Leonova’s former employer—a company listed on the United States’ restricted foreign persons and organizations list.

Federal prosecutors say Leonova and her alleged co-conspirators purchased the aircraft components from United States-based distributors. They then shipped the parts to companies located in Armenia, the Maldives, and elsewhere, before sending them to Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Leonova was charged with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, smuggling, money laundering, and defrauding the United States, according to authorities. She made her first court appearance on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

“This defendant tried to circumvent U.S. law to enrich herself by procuring and illicitly exporting, from the United States to Russia, avionics, and other prohibited equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

One of the FBI’s top priorities is to keep U.S. technology from making its way into adversaries’ hands.

“We ask all our private sector partners to remember the critical role they play in safeguarding our national security by reporting violations,” said Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director, counterintelligence division at the FBI. “And to anyone considering helping a hostile nation-state obtain export-controlled technology, let today’s charges serve as a warning to you: The FBI and our partners will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”

FBI Agents worked with the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Office of Export Enforcement during the investigation.

Prosecutors say Leonova and her alleged partners repeatedly concealed and misstated who was receiving the aviation technology by submitting false information on documents.

She also allegedly transmitted funds from foreign bank accounts to U.S. ones for the shipments during her alleged scheme. This helped conceal the parts’ final destination, according to authorities.