According to the US Department of Justice, a Russian national who had admitted to smuggling large quantities of military-grade microelectronics made in America into Russia was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday.
The department also stated that Maxim Marchenko, 52, would be on supervised release for three more years after completing his sentence.
This resulted in the United States and its allies repeatedly sanctioning Russia due to its military potential impairment since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Marchenko was based in Hong Kong but was taken into custody last September. He along with two Russians were accused of using shell companies to mask their fraudulent procurement of OLED micro-displays.
Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Bureau of Industry and Security within the U.S. Department of Commerce said, “Military grade microelectronics being shipped via Hong Kong is oiling the wheels behind Russia’s war machine.”
“Today’s sentencing is yet another installment under our continuous efforts aimed at attacking and breaking up illegal Russian procurer networks,” added Axelrod.
Marchenko pleaded guilty before a New York court in February to one count each of money laundering and smuggling goods from the United States.
Prosecutors have argued that OLED micro-displays found application in scopes for rifles, night-vision goggles, thermal optics as well as other weapon systems.
Prosecutors alleged that Marchenko and his co-defendants falsely indicated that their dual-use technology—meaning it had both civilian and military uses—was being sent to China, Hong Kong or elsewhere for use as electron microscopes used in medical research.
