An Armenian national, Kamo Kirakosyan, faced a federal judge in Austin today after being indicted and extradited on charges regarding his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to unlawfully export goods from the U.S. to Russia. The scheme, purported to have run from February 2022 through at least August 2024, involved sneaking items potentially used in semiconductor manufacturing through Armenia to the Russian Federation, circumventing required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to court records obtained by the Department of Justice.
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, and subsequent sanctions and export restrictions, Kirakosyan allegedly became a key player in the operation. The indictment charges Kirakosyan with posing as a legitimate Armenian buyer of the goods, providing false information about the final recipients of the shipments to U.S. companies. According to the Department of Justice, he and his co-conspirators are accused of conducting transactions benefiting entities on the Specially Designated Nationals list without proper licenses from the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, with one co-conspirator receiving instruction on opening a bank account specifically to dodge sanctions.
The indictment includes multiple counts against Kirakosyan, such as conspiracy to violate federal laws, conspiracy to defraud the United States, attempted violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), attempted smuggling, a violation of the ECRA, and smuggling. Despite the severity of these allegations, it's important to remember that an indictment is not a conviction, and the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
After being charged in a criminal complaint on July 31, 2024, Kirakosyan was extradited to the United States and made his initial court appearance on September 3, 2025. Investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the case also saw collaboration with the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Berlin. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg prosecuting the case, and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section rendering support, states a report by the Department of Justice.
