Israeli pleads guilty to shipping US-made avionics to Russia, violating sanctions
US Justice Department says Gal Haimovich sent aircraft tech, some of it with missile applications, worth $2 million to Russian customers, violating export controls amid Ukraine war
An Israeli national pleaded guilty Monday in a US court to charges that he illegally shipped American aircraft parts and avionics to Russia, in violation of export controls imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Gal Haimovich, 49, admitted to deceiving American companies about the destination of goods, including some that had missile technology applications, which he supplied to intermediaries en route to Russian customers, the US Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday.
Haimovich directed more than 160 shipments between at least March 2022 and May 2023 to companies in the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates, for ultimate delivery to Russia, the statement said.
The Israeli national hid from suppliers that he was ultimately working on behalf of Siberia Airlines, which he billed for some $2 million. He has now agreed to forfeit the money along with various aircraft parts.
The case is being overseen by the US Justice Department’s “KleptoCapture” task force to enforce sanctions and export controls on Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The task force was launched by US Attorney General Merrick Garland in March 2022, within a month of Russia’s invasion.
The United States also accused Iran this week of providing Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine, a charge that the Islamic Republic has denied but that Russia has not explicitly rejected.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Russia was also sharing technology with Iran, including on nuclear issues.
The US is set to impose new sanctions on Iran, including its airline Iran Air, Blinken said.
