Russian citizen Oleg Patsulya, who was detained in Arizona on charges of conspiring to circumvent export restrictions and transnational money laundering, pleaded not guilty, according to the materials of the Federal District Court of Arizona.
Charges against the Russian were brought on May 31 during a court hearing, at which his legal representative was the state federal defender of Arizona Chalet Braziel. Patsulya refused to plead guilty to all charges.
However, at the insistence of the prosecutor's office, which stated a high risk of evasion of justice on the part of the accused, the court decided to keep the citizen of the Russian Federation in custody until the hearing on the merits of the case.
The parties ' applications must be submitted by June 12, and the trial with the participation of a jury is scheduled for July 6, 2023, according to case 2: 23-cr-00770, which was reviewed by RAPSI.
Patsuli's accomplice in this case is another citizen of the Russian Federation — Vasily Besedin.
According to the US Prosecutor's Office, both Russians living in Florida used, with the involvement of other persons, their MIC P&I, LLC company registered in this state to supply aircraft spare parts to companies from the Russian Federation in violation of the US legislation regulating export operations.
The investigation believes that the defendants received orders directly from Russian airlines, including those that have already been tightened export rules due to the special operation in Ukraine. At the same time, to conceal the final recipients of aircraft parts and sources of payments, Patsulya and Besedin allegedly used intermediary firms and bank accounts in third countries.
Using the above-mentioned methods, the defendants, according to the prosecutor's office, contacted suppliers of spare parts, misleading them about the nationality of the final recipients. So, the US Department of Justice points out, in September 2022, Russians traveled to Arizona in an attempt to purchase equipment for aircraft braking systems from a local company.
If found guilty, Patsuli and Besedin face sentences of up to 20 years in prison for violating export laws and up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to carry out transnational money laundering, the report says.
The detention of the Russians was the result of the activities of the recently established law enforcement organization "Disruptive Technology Strike Group" (Disruptive Technology Strike Group), the US Department of Justice notes.
Among the successful operations of the new structure, according to the Ministry of Justice, is the detention of a Greek citizen Nikolaos Bogonikolos, allegedly involved in the smuggling of "sensitive technologies" in the interests of Russian military and intelligence services, as well as a number of persons who, according to investigators, are engaged in transmitting secret and confidential information in the field of high technologies to China.
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Russian citizens Oleg Patsulya and Vasily Besedin confessed to conspiring to circumvent export restrictions provided for by the legislation of the United States.
In addition, Oleg Patsulya also confessed to conspiracy to commit transnational money laundering, the US Department of Justice said in an official statement.
According to the US Prosecutor's office, both Russians who lived in Florida, at least since May 2022, used, with the involvement of other persons, the MIC P&I LLC company registered in this state to supply aircraft spare parts to customers from the Russian Federation – mainly commercial air carriers – in violation of US legislation regulating export operations.
Patsulya and Besedin allegedly received orders directly from Russian airlines, including those that have already been subject to tightened export regulations due to the special operation in Ukraine. At the same time, the Russians allegedly used intermediary firms and bank accounts in third countries to hide the final recipients of aircraft spare parts and sources of payments.
Using the above methods, the Russians, according to the prosecutor's office, contacted suppliers of spare parts, misleading them about the nationality of the final recipients. So, the US Department of Justice points out, in September 2022, the Russians made a trip to Arizona in order to purchase equipment for the braking systems of aircraft, in particular, the Boeing 737 airliner, from a local company.
According to the prosecutor's office, in total, about $ 4.6 million was transferred to accounts in American banks associated with MIC P&I LLC, controlled by Oleg Patsula, from Russian air carriers through Turkish banking organizations, which were supposed to go for the purchase of aircraft spare parts and components. As part of the guilty plea, Oleg Patsulya agreed to confiscate, among other assets, an amount equivalent to $ 4.6 million.
As noted by the US Department of Justice, the detention of Russians in June 2023 was the result of the activities of a special unit - the Disruptive Technology Strike Group.
The verdict in this case is scheduled for June 17.
Charges against the Russian were brought on May 31 during a court hearing, at which his legal representative was the state federal defender of Arizona Chalet Braziel. Patsulya refused to plead guilty to all charges.
However, at the insistence of the prosecutor's office, which stated a high risk of evasion of justice on the part of the accused, the court decided to keep the citizen of the Russian Federation in custody until the hearing on the merits of the case.
The parties ' applications must be submitted by June 12, and the trial with the participation of a jury is scheduled for July 6, 2023, according to case 2: 23-cr-00770, which was reviewed by RAPSI.
Patsuli's accomplice in this case is another citizen of the Russian Federation — Vasily Besedin.
According to the US Prosecutor's Office, both Russians living in Florida used, with the involvement of other persons, their MIC P&I, LLC company registered in this state to supply aircraft spare parts to companies from the Russian Federation in violation of the US legislation regulating export operations.
The investigation believes that the defendants received orders directly from Russian airlines, including those that have already been tightened export rules due to the special operation in Ukraine. At the same time, to conceal the final recipients of aircraft parts and sources of payments, Patsulya and Besedin allegedly used intermediary firms and bank accounts in third countries.
Using the above-mentioned methods, the defendants, according to the prosecutor's office, contacted suppliers of spare parts, misleading them about the nationality of the final recipients. So, the US Department of Justice points out, in September 2022, Russians traveled to Arizona in an attempt to purchase equipment for aircraft braking systems from a local company.
If found guilty, Patsuli and Besedin face sentences of up to 20 years in prison for violating export laws and up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to carry out transnational money laundering, the report says.
The detention of the Russians was the result of the activities of the recently established law enforcement organization "Disruptive Technology Strike Group" (Disruptive Technology Strike Group), the US Department of Justice notes.
Among the successful operations of the new structure, according to the Ministry of Justice, is the detention of a Greek citizen Nikolaos Bogonikolos, allegedly involved in the smuggling of "sensitive technologies" in the interests of Russian military and intelligence services, as well as a number of persons who, according to investigators, are engaged in transmitting secret and confidential information in the field of high technologies to China.
+++
Russian citizens Oleg Patsulya and Vasily Besedin confessed to conspiring to circumvent export restrictions provided for by the legislation of the United States.
In addition, Oleg Patsulya also confessed to conspiracy to commit transnational money laundering, the US Department of Justice said in an official statement.
According to the US Prosecutor's office, both Russians who lived in Florida, at least since May 2022, used, with the involvement of other persons, the MIC P&I LLC company registered in this state to supply aircraft spare parts to customers from the Russian Federation – mainly commercial air carriers – in violation of US legislation regulating export operations.
Patsulya and Besedin allegedly received orders directly from Russian airlines, including those that have already been subject to tightened export regulations due to the special operation in Ukraine. At the same time, the Russians allegedly used intermediary firms and bank accounts in third countries to hide the final recipients of aircraft spare parts and sources of payments.
Using the above methods, the Russians, according to the prosecutor's office, contacted suppliers of spare parts, misleading them about the nationality of the final recipients. So, the US Department of Justice points out, in September 2022, the Russians made a trip to Arizona in order to purchase equipment for the braking systems of aircraft, in particular, the Boeing 737 airliner, from a local company.
According to the prosecutor's office, in total, about $ 4.6 million was transferred to accounts in American banks associated with MIC P&I LLC, controlled by Oleg Patsula, from Russian air carriers through Turkish banking organizations, which were supposed to go for the purchase of aircraft spare parts and components. As part of the guilty plea, Oleg Patsulya agreed to confiscate, among other assets, an amount equivalent to $ 4.6 million.
As noted by the US Department of Justice, the detention of Russians in June 2023 was the result of the activities of a special unit - the Disruptive Technology Strike Group.
The verdict in this case is scheduled for June 17.
