The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged a Hungarian national with violating U.S. sanctions against Russia in an alleged plot to export radio communication technology.
Bence Horvath is charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act of 2018. He was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport on Aug. 23, the DOJ said in an Aug. 26 press release.
Horvath faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1,000 fine.
DOJ officials said he attempted to buy military-grade radios manufactured in the U.S. to send to Russia through “illicit global procurement networks that operate in the shadows.”
Horvath allegedly worked on construction projects supporting Russian infrastructure such as the radio communications system in the Kursk region along the Russian/Ukrainian border.
The DOJ alleged that Horvath had the help of co-conspirators in Latvia, Hungary, Serbia, and Spain.
In 2023, Horvath and others in the network established a relationship with a radio distribution company in the U.S. to procure and export communication systems.
“As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia, but he was not successful,” the DOJ said. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment, preventing the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.”
Conspiracy to Export Avionic Technology
This past week, a Latvian man was charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act in addition to smuggling, money laundering, and conspiracy, according to the DOJ.Oleg Chistyakov, 55, was extradited to the U.S. on charges of conspiracy to sell advanced avionic technology to Russian companies.
Christyakov allegedly conspired with two Kansas residents, Cyril Buyanovsky, 61, and Douglas Robertson, 56, who pled guilty in March 2023 to conspiracy charges.
Chistyakov conducted his operations from Latvia through his company, RosAero FZC, while Buyanovsky and Robertson operated through their company, KanRus Trading Company, to cloak their activities, the DOJ said.
Task Force KleptoCapture
The DOJ launched Task Force KleptoCapture after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to enforce U.S. sanctions against Russia.The task force operates from the deputy attorney general’s office and deploys experts on sanction enforcement while relying on “cutting-edge investigative techniques” including data analytics, cryptocurrency tracing, foreign intelligence sources, and information from financial regulators and private sector partners,” the DOJ said.
Since the task force was established, the DOJ has “seized, restrained, or obtained forfeiture judgments against approximately $700 million belonging to Russian oligarchs” and other supporters, the DOJ said.
