Brooklyn federal prosecutors have recently unsealed an indictment against Maxim Larin, the owner of several U.S.-based companies dealing in firearms parts and accessories, alleging a scheme to illegally export said items to international locales, including Kazakhstan, which is reportedly a common stopover point on the way to Russia. Facing an eight-count indictment, Larin was arrested in Plantation, Florida, and is expected to be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date, as detailed in an announcement by authorities which includes Joseph Nocella, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and officials from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The charge sheet accuses Larin of numerous violations of federal law: conspiracy to defraud the United States, evasion of the Export Control Reform Act, along with additional counts tied to the Arms Export Control Act. According to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, "Larin agreed to illegally ship export-controlled weapons parts and accessories, including a sophisticated target acquisition system, to Kazakhstan, a known transshipment location for equipment bound for Russia. He lied on export documents and intentionally misrepresented and concealed the true nature of the materials he was shipping."
Federal officials have highlighted the seriousness of the allegations. In a statement to media outlets, Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of HSI New York commented on the underhanded nature of Larin's business dealings, saying, "Maxim Larin is accused of shipping weapons, parts and tactical accessories to countries that serve as pipelines for artillery destined for the Russian battlefield." Larin reportedly urged his co-defendant in Russia to mislabel parcels and take steps to hide their contents from U.S. authorities, offering strategies such as removing boxes with potentially suspicious imagery, as per the press release.
The accused allegedly engaged in deceptive practices over a period extending as far back as December 2022, with evidence including communications regarding shipment methods and content misrepresentation. For example, as stated in the charges, Larin instructed his Russia-based co-defendant to label a package as containing benign items like clothing and a light switch, while it actually contained controlled firearms components. One such component was a Rapid Targeting and Ranging Module, or Raptar, which enhances target acquisition at long distances and falls under strict International Traffic in Arms Regulations. These charges are allegations at this juncture, with Larin maintaining the presumption of innocence, until proven guilty, if convicted on any of these counts, he could face up to two decades in prison.
Collaborative efforts among various agencies, including the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, HSI’s Miami Field Office, and others, were pivotal in bringing these charges against Larin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gilbert M. Rein and David I. Berman, along with Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, are overseeing the federal case.
