Weapons technology Russian-American admits to smuggling sensitive weapon tech to Russia

Alexander Fishenko, 49, a Russian-American businessman, pleaded guilty yesterday (Wednesday) to charges of smuggling sensitive U.S. microelectronics to Russia. He had fought the case for three years, but the Justice Department said he had recently changed his legal strategy ahead of the trial, which is about to start.

Fishenko, the owner of a Houston company, Arc Electronics, was arrested in 2012 on allegations that he had shipped export-controlled electronics and computer chips which are used in radar and surveillance systems, missile guidance systems, and detonation triggers.

He shipped the controlled technology to Russian military and intelligence agencies.

His Houston company modestly described itself as a manufacturer of traffic lights. The Guardian reports that the company falsified the information it gave the manufacturer of the sensitive technology about the planned end-use and end-users, and then falsified shipping information to avoid U.S. export controls.

Fishenko was one of eleven people arrested in 2012 for being involved in the scheme.

He faces up to twenty years in prison on each charge of violating the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which covers acts which aid U.S. enemies. He also faces up to twenty years in prison for violating the Arms Export Control Act; twenty years for money laundering; and ten years for illegally acting as an agent of Russia.

“Fishenko lined his pockets at the expense of our national security,” U.S. attorney Kelly Currie said. “This prosecution highlights the importance of vigorously enforcing United States export control laws.”