Madison: Andrew Pogosyan, 68, a U.S. citizen born in Russia and residing in Madison, pleaded guilty today in federal court to a four-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States and smuggling goods from the United States.

According to United States Department of Justice, court filings and statements made during the plea hearing revealed that from September 2022 until October 2023, Pogosyan, through his company Omega Diagnostics LLC, willfully violated and evaded the export restrictions imposed on Russia. He exported scientific and diagnostic research equipment components to Russia without the required licenses, using transshipment points in third-party countries to conceal the ultimate destination.

The U.S. government regulates the export of goods, technology, and software, and on February 24, 2022, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) implemented specific export control regulations in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These regulations prohibit the export of certain items from the United States to Russia without a license from the BIS. The regulations were expanded on September 16, 2022, to include a licensing requirement for items potentially useful to Russia's chemical and biological weapons production capabilities. Under the Export Control Reform Act, it is a federal crime to willfully violate any export control regulation.

Pogosyan conspired with Russian-based companies and individuals to export controlled items from the United States to Russia through third-party countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Latvia, and Lithuania. Despite knowing about the license requirement, Pogosyan exported the controlled items without obtaining a license. Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.