Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Five Indicted on Charges of Exporting Thermal Imaging Tech to Russia

Authorities say the five defendants conspired to smuggle thermal imaging scopes and night-vision goggles from the United States to Russia.

LOS ANGELES (CN) — A federal grand jury in California has indicted five people on charges of conspiring to smuggle thermal imaging technology to Russia and producing false export documents to conceal their scheme.

The grand jury indictment accuses the defendants of conspiring to export thermal imaging scopes and night-vision goggles as part of a gambit that violates the Arms Export Control Act, a federal law regulating export of defense articles such as imaging and guidance equipment.

The equipment is designed to be mounted on firearms or headgear and uses heat-detection technology to enhance visibility in certain settings.

Federal prosecutors say that between 2016 and 2020, the defendants purchased dozens of thermal imaging devices — for between $5,000 and $10,000 — from U.S. sellers and exported them to co-conspirators in Russia.

The indictment returned May 26 and unsealed June 17 also says defendants purchased the technology using aliases and falsely assured sellers the items would not be exported from the United States.

When the imaging technology — which is controlled by International Traffic in Arms Regulations — was exported, defendants didn’t obtain the proper license and used falsified documents that stated the items were non-export-controlled worth less than $2,500, the indictment says.

On Thursday, federal authorities arrested two Illinois residents — Elena Shifrin, 59, of Mundelein, and Vladimir Pridacha, 55, of Volo — both named defendants.

Shifrin and Pridacha made their initial court appearances last week in the U.S. District Court in Chicago and were released on $100,000 bonds.

The other named defendants include Boris Polosin of Russia; Vladimir Gohman of Israel, and Igor Panchernikov an Israeli citizen who resided in Corona, California, during the scheme.

According to the indictment, Polosin would direct Gohman to purchase the thermal riflescopes and night-vision gear online and export them to Russia as non-export-controlled items.

“Defendant Gohman would further instruct defendant Shifrin to use false sender names and false sender addresses when exporting such items to Russia,” the indictment says. “Defendant Panchernikov would mail defense articles to co-conspirators in Russia without obtaining the required export licenses or filing [electronic export information] and would falsely describe the contents of the exports as non-export-controlled items with a value of less than $2,500.”

Prosecutors said Monday the charge of conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The second conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Follow Martin Macias Jr. on Twitter

Categories / Criminal, Technology

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...