Russian National Arrested for Attempting to Export Aircraft to Russia Through Armenia

· December 3, 2024

Sergey Nechaev, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was arrested in the Southern District of the State of Georgia on charges related to the unlawful attempted export of two small aircraft to Russia. In conjunction with the arrest, the U.S. government also seized the aircraft.

According to the indictment, between March 3, 2023, and March 24, 2023, Nechaev engaged in a scheme to violate and evade U.S. export control laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle two Cessna aircraft from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through Armenia. Specifically, after the U.S. government imposed stricter controls on Russia in February 2022, Nechaev attempted to export a 1968 Cessna 172K and a 1973 Cessna, valued together at approximately $170,000, to a purported Russian flight school, without the required license or authorization from the Department of Commerce. To conceal the true end user and destination of the aircraft, Nechaev falsely represented that the end user and destination were in Armenia.

Nechaev is charged with attempting to export controlled goods without a license in violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law, and causing the submission of false and misleading information in Electronic Export Information paperwork submitted through the Automated Export System. If convicted, Nechaev faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the unlawful attempted export of controlled goods; up to 10 years in prison for smuggling; and up to five years in prison for falsifying export information. The aircraft will also be subject to forfeiture as property involved in the commission of the crime. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.