max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
Sam Bhambhani of North Attleborough is one of two suspects in an alleged scheme to smuggle laser equipment overseas for the Russian nuclear energy industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston.
Bhambhani, 55, is said to have conspired with Maxim Teslenko, 35 of Moscow, Russia, from in or around 2015 through at least 2021, to export laser welding machines from Bhambhani’s employer in the United States to the Ural Electromechanical Plant (UEMZ) in Yekaterinburg, Russia, while falsifying the export documentation submitted to the U.S. government in order to conceal the fact that the UEMZ was the true end user of the machines, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The UEMZ is a subsidiary of Rosatom, a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow, which oversaw Russia’s civilian and military nuclear program. According to the indictment, Teslenko knew that the laser welding machines were intended for the portion of the UEMZ involving the Russian nuclear weapons program.
“These two men are accused of helping Russia illegally acquire cutting-edge, American-made laser welding machines in support of this hostile nation state’s nuclear program. As part of their shameful efforts to evade our country’s export laws, we believe these men utilized shell companies, fictitious personas and falsified records,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This is yet another flagrant example of Russia using illicit procurement networks to advance their goals to the detriment of our country’s national security. Let this case serve as a warning to others that if you violate U.S. export controls or evade U.S. sanctions, the FBI and our partners will find you and ensure that you are brought to justice.”
Bhambhan and Teslenko were each indicted on one count of smuggling and one count of conspiracy to violate and evade export controls, commit smuggling, and defraud the United States. Bhambhani was arrested on Sept. 9 and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Teslenko remains at large overseas.
“The Office of Export Enforcement is committed to vigorously investigating illegal exports to Russia and will hold all those who violate our export control laws accountable, whether those violations involve smuggling, illicit procurement, transshipment, or other illegal schemes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “This multi-year investigation is a testament to the excellent cooperation between our law enforcement partners in countering Russia’s nuclear weapons program.”
The charge of smuggling provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen, DOC BIS OEE Acting SAC Tambrini and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement on Monday, Sept. 16. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Laura S. Kaplan of the Office’s National Security Unit are prosecuting the case with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.
