Date: 01-08-2025

Case Style:

United States of America v. Nikolay Goltsev

Case Number:

Judge: LaShann DeArcy Hall

Court: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York King's County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The States United Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Brooklyn, NY criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Multi Million Dollar Export Control Scheme
Canadian National Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Multi Million Dollar Export Control Scheme

Nikolay Goltsev was charged with committing export control violations. Goltsev, a Canadian national, masterminded a global procurement scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian companies, including Russian military companies. The electronic components shipped by Goltsev were later found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI); James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (EEO), announced the sentencing.

“Simply put, Russia cannot effectively manufacture advanced weapons without U.S. technology. Today’s sentence goes a long way in preventing Russia’s access to U.S. electronics for use in the unlawful war against Ukraine,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office is committed to stopping Russia’s illicit acquisition of U.S. technology.”

Mr. Peace also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their valuable assistance with the investigation.

“Today, Nikolay Goltsev joins the growing list of defendants held accountable for unlawfully procuring and profiting from the sale of U.S. technology to further Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine,” stated Attorney General Garland. “The Justice Department is sparing no effort to ensure that those who violate America’s export controls to feed Russia’s war machine answer for their crimes in American courtrooms.”

“Goltsev’s sentence sends a strong message that those who break our laws and contribute to Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine will be held accountable,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue those who procure the component parts that make Russia’s war machine tick. This case demonstrates that these wrongdoers will be found and punished accordingly.”

“Nikolay Goltsev’s sentencing today sends a message to those seeking to bypass export control laws in support of the Kremlin’s inhumane attacks on Ukraine: HSI will do whatever it takes to prevent U.S. military technology from ending up on the Russian battlefield. HSI’s counter-proliferation investigators work tirelessly to combat the illegal export and proliferation of sensitive U.S. military and dual-purpose technology,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “Standing alongside our law enforcement partners, we are committing to stopping the Russian war machine in its tracks.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated, “Nikolay Goltsev served as a vehicle to reinforce Russia’s militant efforts against Ukraine through the distribution of electronics to sanctioned entities. Goltsev selfishly prioritized profits from this multi-million-dollar scheme at the expense of safeguarding United States technology against adversarial nations. May today’s sentencing reinforce the FBI's commitment to confront foreign countries which steal our technology to advance their nefarious and warmongering goals.”

“Working with our law enforcement colleagues, the Office of Export Enforcement will continue to target networks that facilitate illicit shipments that support Russia’s war. Today’s sentencing is just the latest example of our resolute efforts to target, disrupt and dismantle these networks,” stated Department of Commerce EEO Special Agent in Charge Carson.

Goltsev used two Brooklyn companies, SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc., to unlawfully source, purchase and ship millions of dollars in dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers to sanctioned end users in Russia. Some of the electronic components and integrated circuits shipped by the defendants through SH Brothers have been found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine. Some of these components were critical to Russia’s precision-guided weapons systems being used against Ukraine. During the period charged in the indictment, SH Brothers made hundreds of shipments valued at over $7 million to Russia.

To carry out the criminal scheme, Goltsev, along with co-defendant Salimdzhon Nasriddinov and others, purchased the electronic components from U.S. manufacturers and distributors under the auspices of SH Brothers and SN Electronics and arranged for the items to be shipped from those manufacturers and distributors to various locations in Brooklyn. The co-conspirators then unlawfully shipped the items to a variety of intermediary front companies located in other countries, including Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China and the United Arab Emirates, where they were rerouted to Russia. Goltsev’s wife, co-defendant Kristina Puzyreva, laundered the funds of the export control scheme.

Goltsev’s communications show that he had a sophisticated understanding of export control laws. For example, in a message in February 2023, Goltsev advised another co-defendant to “write something more substantial [to the U.S. company] so that there are no more questions.” The co-defendant responded, “is it better to provide them with a Chinese end user,” to which Goltsev stated, “yes should be ok.”

Goltsev’s communications also show that he knew the electronic components were going to Russia for use in Ukraine and support of Russia. In a May 30, 2023 text message conversation with Puzyreva, the defendants discussed a drone attack in Moscow and their support of Russia:

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment

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