Dual U.S.-Russian citizen pleads guilty to sending weapon components to Russia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A dual U.S.-Russian citizen pled guilty today to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization.

According to court documents, from at least July 2020 to 2023, Dimitry Timashev, 58, coordinated with an associate in Russia to send weapon parts from the United States to Russia. In exchange, the associate paid tuition for Timashev’s daughter and rent for an apartment in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Timashev’s associate provided the defendant with the names and addresses to which the firearm components and ammunition were sent. Before July 6, 2022, all the packages were shipped to Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Timashev could no longer create a U.S. Postal Service label to send packages of firearm components to Russia. Instead, Timashev’s associate directed him to send the components to his relative’s apartment in Kazakhstan, from where the goods would be sent to Russia.

Timashev attempted to send multiple packages of components to Kazakhstan, knowing they were ultimately bound for Russia. He also knew exporting the parts through Kazakhstan to Russia required a license from the Department of Commerce that he did not have. Timashev concealed the illegal exports by misrepresenting the contents of the shipments on the accompanying manifests.

Timashev is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 8. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matt Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD); and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.

Homeland Security Investigations; ATF; Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tracy Varghese of NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-111.

This release was revised on June 12, 2024, to reflect the valuable contributions of of investigating agencies.