United States: new convictions for illegal exports to Russia

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on September 30, 2025, two new criminal cases illustrating the continued tightening of U.S. export control enforcement, especially in relation to Russia. These cases reaffirm the increasingly extraterritorial approach adopted by U.S. authorities since 2022 and their willingness to prosecute any actor involved in circumventing American export regulations.

The first case concerns Bence Horvath, a Hungarian and Spanish citizen who attempted to export 200 U.S. military radios to Russia. The shipment was routed through a Latvian freight forwarder in an effort to disguise its final destination. U.S. customs intercepted the equipment before it could be re-exported. Horvath was sentenced to 31 months in prison, reflecting the severity with which U.S. authorities now treat attempts to bypass military export restrictions.

In the second case, Oleg Chistyakov, a Latvian national, pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin avionics equipment to Russia and other destinations using Russian aircraft. According to the DoJ, Chistyakov used shell companies, falsified invoices, and forged documentation to conceal the real nature and destination of the goods. His involvement demonstrates the sophisticated methods increasingly used to evade sanctions—and the significant resources the U.S. dedicates to detecting and disrupting them.

These two cases signal a clear message: the United States will prosecute foreign nationals who participate in the re-export, facilitation, or concealment of controlled U.S. goods. Companies and individuals across the world must ensure strict compliance with U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), even when operating outside U.S. borders.

The next court hearing in the Chistyakov case is scheduled for March 10, 2026, with a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison.