A US resident who was arrested in March 2023 for illegally exporting aviation-related technology to Russia has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a federal judge. The defendant, Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 59, of Lawrence, Kansas, was found guilty of conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a license, falsifying and failing to file electronic export information, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law.
.gif)
Buyanovsky owned and operated KanRus Trading Company, which supplied Western avionics equipment (i.e., electronics installed in aircraft) to Russian companies and provided repair services for equipment used in Russian-manufactured aircraft. He conspired with his partner, Douglas Robertson, 55, of Olathe, Kansas, to evade U.S. export laws by concealing and misstating the true end users, value, and end destinations of their exports and by transshipping items through third-party countries.
For example, between November 2020 and February 2021, Buyanovsky received avionics equipment, including a computer processor bearing a sticker identifying Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB), from a Russian company for repair in the United States. He concealed the true end user and end destination by providing a fraudulent invoice to the shipment company identifying the end destination as Germany. As further alleged, on Feb. 28, 2022, Buyanovsky attempted to export avionics to Russia. U.S. authorities detained the shipment, and the U.S. Department of Commerce informed him that a license was required to export the equipment to Russia. In an April 2022 communication with Robertson via encrypted messaging app Signal, Buyanovsky expressed that “things are complicated in the USA” and that “ [t]his is NOT the right time for [more paperwork and visibility].” Subsequently, in May June, and July 2022, he illegally transshipped avionics through Armenia and Cyprus to Russia without obtaining the required licenses.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a license, falsifying and failing to file electronic export information, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. If convicted they faced up to 20 years in prison for each count of exporting controlled goods without a license; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and falsifying export information. Buyanovsky pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2023, before U.S. District Judge John R. Lee Jr., who accepted his plea agreement on Nov. 15, 2023. The judge sentenced him on Dec. 15, 2023, after considering his criminal history; acceptance of responsibility; cooperation with authorities; remorse; need for deterrence; need for the protection of society; need for the protection of children; need for protection of victims; need for restitution; need for forfeiture; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' assets; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' accounts; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' bank accounts; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' brokerage accounts; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' trust accounts; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' retirement accounts; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' life insurance policies; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' annuities policies; need for forfeiture from co-conspirators' pension plans policies. The judge also ordered Buyanovsky to pay $5 million in restitution to KanRus Trading Company as part of his plea agreement. The judge also imposed a fine of $250 thousand on Buyanovsky as part of his sentence. The judge also ordered Buyanovsky's passport to be revoked as part of his sentence.