Yana Leonova, a 33-year-old citizen of Belarus who most recently lived in Russia, was extradited from France to the United States to face charges related to illegally exporting U.S.-sourced aviation components to Russia. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Leonova, also known as “Yana Liavonava,” appeared for the first time in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following her extradition.
According to the indictment, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in May 2022, Leonova worked with individuals based in the United States to obtain avionics and other aircraft equipment. These items were then exported without proper licenses for use on private aircraft operated by her former employer, a company listed on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List. The scheme involved purchasing components from U.S. distributors and using companies in Armenia, the Maldives, and other locations to transship them to Russia.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro stated: “This defendant tried to circumvent U.S. law to enrich herself by procuring and illicitly exporting, from the United States to Russia, avionics, and other prohibited equipment. She used intermediary countries in an effort to block the identity of the final recipient in Russia where licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce were needed.”
FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky commented: “The FBI’s investigation revealed that Yana Leonova allegedly conspired to evade U.S. export laws by selling sensitive aircraft equipment to Russia. The FBI has made it a top priority to keep U.S. technology from making its way into our adversaries’ hands, and we ask all our private sector partners to remember the critical role they play in safeguarding our national security by reporting violations. And to anyone considering helping a hostile nation-state obtain export-controlled technology, let today’s charges serve as a warning to you: the FBI and our partners will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”
Jonathan Carson from BIS/OEE added: “The Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement remains steadfast in protecting U.S. national security and ensuring the integrity of our export control system. Working closely with our law enforcement and international partners, we will continue to uncover and disrupt illicit procurement networks wherever they operate.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus said: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of work for the FBI and underscores our commitment to identifying those who allegedly violate national export laws. We’re thankful to the team of investigators, the Department of Justice, the United States Marshals Service, and our French allies for their help in the extradition of Leonova, who will now face these charges in a U.S. court."
Authorities allege that Leonova and her associates concealed or misrepresented end users and destinations on shipping documents while arranging payments through foreign bank accounts routed into accounts within the United States.
The investigation is being conducted by teams at FBI Kansas City as well as BIS/OEE offices in Atlanta and New York; prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and John W. Borchert along with trial attorneys Sean R. Heiden and Kara Podraza.
French authorities played a significant role during extradition proceedings alongside support from DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment represents only an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
