In a recent development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has detained a Russian international money launderer for smuggling military-grade electronics from the United States to Russian elites. Maxim Marchenko, a Russian citizen residing in Hong Kong, has been accused of various offenses, including conspiring to defraud the United States, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering. The DOJ believes that Marchenko was involved in an illegal scheme to obtain dual-use microelectronics with military applications from the US for end users in Russia.
Marchenko, along with two other co-conspirators, operated an illegal procurement network in Russia, Hong Kong, and other foreign locations. Through shell businesses based in Hong Kong, including Alice Components Co., RG Solutions Limited, and Neway Technologies Limited, the network fraudulently purchased significant quantities of dual-use, military-grade microelectronics, particularly OLED micro-displays, from American distributors. These microelectronics can be used in various military applications, such as rifle scopes and night-vision goggles.
To conceal their activities, Marchenko and his accomplices used deceptive techniques, including misrepresenting the true destination of the micro-displays to US distributors. They claimed the shipments were intended for end users in China, Hong Kong, and other countries outside of Russia, specifically for medical research purposes. However, the true final destination was Russia. Additionally, Marchenko utilized pass-through businesses in third countries to transship the illegally acquired micro-displays, further obscuring the fact that they were ultimately bound for Russia.
The DOJ's detention of Maxim Marchenko underscores the department's commitment to protecting US security. By cracking down on international money launderers and smugglers involved in illegal schemes, the DOJ aims to prevent sensitive military technology from falling into the wrong hands. This case serves as a reminder that the US government remains vigilant in safeguarding its national security and will take decisive action against those who seek to undermine it.
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- According to a press release, Maxim Marchenko, a Russian citizen who has lived in Hong Kong, was accused of conspiring to defraud the United States, as well as smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses on September 18, 2023. This accusation stems from his alleged involvement in a scheme to illegally obtain dual-use microelectronics with military applications from the United States for end users in Russia. Maxim Marchenko is a Russian native who lives in Hong Kong and runs a number of shell businesses there, including Alice Components Co., according to court filings. Ltd. (Alice Components), RG Solutions Limited (RG Solutions), and Neway Technologies Limited (Neway). Marchenko ran an illegal procurement network in Russia, Hong Kong, and other foreign locations with two other co-conspirators (CC-1 and CC-2), who are also Russian citizens.
- For the benefit of end users situated in Russia, this procurement network fraudulently purchased significant amounts of dual-use, military-grade microelectronics, notably OLED micro-displays, from American distributors. Marchenko, CC-1, and CC-2 used shell firms based in Hong Kong and other sneaky techniques to hide the fact that the OLED micro-displays were going to Russia from American distributors and government authorities. There are several military uses for the technology that Marchenko and his accomplices fraudulently acquired, including in rifle scopes, night-vision goggles, thermal optics, and other weapon systems.Marchenko used his Hong Kong-based front firms, Alice Components, Neway, and RG Solutions, to buy the dual-use OLED micro-displays from American wholesalers in order to carry out the scam.
- Members of the conspiracy, including Marchenko, obtained these delicate microelectronics by misrepresenting to U.S. distributors—who in turn must report to U.S. agencies—that Alice Components was shipping the shipments to end users in China, Hong Kong, and other nations outside of Russia for use in electron microscopes for medical research. Actually, the OLED micro-displays were made for Russian end consumers. To give misleading information to American agencies, Marchenko and other conspirators kept the true final destination (Russia) a secret from U.S. distributors. Marchenko and the other conspirators worked together to transship the illegally acquired OLED micro-displays via pass-through businesses primarily run by Marchenko in third countries like Hong Kong. This was done in order to hide the fact that these OLED micro-displays were going to Russia.
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