KATIE ZAVADSKI
10.25.17
Russia doesn’t only use spies to steal secrets. Sometimes those doing its dirty work are ordinary American businessmen. The sentencing of two women in Brooklyn federal court last week brought an end to a long criminal drama in which they helped their boss Alexander Fishenko smuggle military-grade technology to Russia. Fishenko owned Arc Electronics, a Houston, Texas, company that falsely claimed to manufacture traffic lights while it really exported high-tech products like microelectronics, according to a criminal complaint. Fishenko also co-owned a Moscow-based business focused on getting microelectronics for Russian military and intelligence agencies. Fishenko used these companies to act as an unregistered Russian agent, feds alleged. Fishenko also violated regulations on exporting controlled microelectronics to foreign countries who might use them to advance their own military capabilities. Fishenko owned Arc Electronics, a Houston, Texas, company that falsely claimed to manufacture traffic lights while it really exported high-tech products like microelectronics, according to a criminal complaint. Fishenko also co-owned a Moscow-based business focused on getting microelectronics for Russian military and intelligence agencies. Fishenko used these companies to act as an unregistered Russian agent, feds alleged. Fishenko also violated regulations on exporting controlled microelectronics to foreign countries who might use them to advance their own military capabilities.
“Communications intercepted during the investigation revealed that a large portion of the technology exported by defendants was destined for Russian military agencies,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. “Specific correspondence recovered during the course of the investigation revealed that the Federal Security Service, Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, as well as Russian military entities, were the end users of some of the microelectronics exported by Arc.” Fishenko admitted his guilt days before trial, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and ordered to return $500,000 in illicit proceeds. But in a pre-sentencing appeal to the judge, he maintained that he was a patriot and not a Russian spy. “I fear that you have this image of me as some kind of secret agent,” Fishenko said. “I read some press reports saying that I pleaded guilty to being a Russian spy, I which of course I did not, and of course I am not.” Fishenko said he was pursuing the American dream and just happened to pick up Russian customers because of his background. He said his actions were more “sloppy” than malicious. “I broke the law but not with the motive of hurting my family, my friends, or my country—the United State of America,” Fishenko pleaded. But Judge Sterling Johnson was not swayed.
