New York Inquisitor

From Brooklyn to the battlefield: Local man pleads guilty to exporting drones to Russia

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Brooklyn Eagle
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The Eastern District of New York federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

A 36-year-old Brooklyn resident pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by unlawfully exporting sensitive electronic components used in Russian military drones on Tuesday. 

The plea was entered by Nikolay Grigorev in a federal court in Brooklyn before U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis, with Grigorev now facing up to five years in prison.

Grigorev’s company, Quality Life Cue LLC, based in Brooklyn, was instrumental in facilitating over $250,000 in transactions aimed at acquiring and shipping dual-use technology to entities associated with the Russian military. This scheme notably included dealings with SMT-iLogic, a company added to the U.S. Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List due to its role in the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

“Grigorev admitted today that he conspired to supply Russia with U.S.-sourced, dual-use technologies, knowing full well that his actions violated export controls and sanctions designed to stop those items from being sent to Russia and used in the production of drones like those found on the battlefields in Ukraine,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. 

Grigorev managed to bypass international sanctions and legal restrictions by funneling funds through front companies in third countries and engaging in deceptive financial practices.

Operating through Quality Life Cue LLC, Grigorev engaged in transactions totaling approximately $272,830, using these funds to purchase dual-use electronic components from a local distributor. These components were integral to the manufacturing of military drones, specifically the “Sea Eagle Orlan 10 UAV,” used extensively by the Russian military in Ukraine.

Grigorev’s operations were linked to SMT-iLogic, a Russia-based technology company involved in the production supply chain for these drones. This company, along with the Special…

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