New Jersey resident sentenced to 30 months in prison for role in global export control and sanctions evasion scheme

Date: August 18, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

Brooklyn, NY - Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, dual U.S. and Russian national Vadim Yermolenko was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 30 months in prison for his role in an illicit procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire ammunition and sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Gonzalez ordered Yermolenko to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $75,547.00. Yermolenko pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, bank fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York), and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE) announced the sentence.

"The defendant lied to banks, facilitated the illegal export of ammunition and sensitive technology, and evaded income taxes, all as part of a global procurement and money laundering network operated on behalf of the Russian government," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "Today's sentence should send a message to all who would consider abusing the financial system to commit crimes on behalf of foreign nations: This Office will find you, prosecute you, and, if you are convicted, seek a significant prison sentence."

"Vadim Yermolenko violated several US laws while endeavoring to help the government of Russia acquire dual-use technology and weapons to bolster its military. Today's sentencing should signal to all those attempting to evade US sanctions that the US government will work tirelessly to prevent American manufactured goods from being illegally procured and used to advance the militaries of adversarial foreign governments. The FBI will continue to be unrelenting in our efforts to defend the homeland, identity those responsible, and bring them to justice," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.

"Through a sophisticated network of shell companies and bank accounts, Yermolenko laundered more than $12 million and purchased highly sensitive military equipment for Russia-aiding Russia's military and intelligence agencies in violation of U.S. laws. Yermolenko's greed and misplaced foreign allegiance created a potential threat to our national security, and law enforcement's collaboration on this case ensures that our communities are safe from this potential vulnerability," stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs, and the Estonian authorities for their valuable assistance.

As alleged in court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering (Serniya) and Sertal LLC (Sertal), two Moscow-based procurement companies. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including in the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.

The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing, and other military applications. Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies involved in the scheme were designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in February 2022.

To carry out the scheme, Yermolenko helped set up numerous shell companies and bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant, which he failed to report to the IRS. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance, and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant's accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.

Co-defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act and was sentenced to 15 months' incarceration. Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence.

The government's case is being handled by the Office's National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Derek Shugert of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Former Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell, former Litigation Analysts Emma Tavangari and Mary Clare McMahon, and former National Security Division Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee contributed to the prosecution.

The Defendant:

• VADIM YERMOLENKO, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

Other Defendants:

• ALEXEY IPPOLITOV, Moscow, Russia
• YEVGENIY GRININ, Moscow, Russia
• BORIS LIVSHITS, St. Petersburg, Russia
• SVETLANA SKVORTSOVA, Moscow, Russia
• VADIM KONOSHCHENOK, Tallin, Estonia
• ALEXEY BRAYMAN, Merrimack, New Hampshire
• NIKOLAOS BOGONIKOLOS, Athens, Greece

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroa