Cox, Stashchyshyn Charged in Ukraine Arms Export Scheme

Feds say Michael Cox, 42, of Beverly Hills, Michigan, and Michael Stashchyshyn, 55, of Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, ran an underground pipeline shipping night vision gear, firearms, and ammunition to Ukraine—bypassing federal export laws meant to control warzone arms flow. The indictment, unsealed in Pittsburgh, charges both men with conspiracy to illegally export defense articles regulated under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

According to the one-count indictment, Cox bought military-grade night sighting equipment, guns, and ammo across the U.S., funneling them to Stashchyshyn, who owns a freight forwarding operation in Parsippany, New Jersey. Using his logistics business, Stashchyshyn repackaged and shipped the contraband directly to an individual in Ukraine—skipping the mandatory State Department licensing process entirely.

The items in question are listed on the U.S. Munitions List, including optics designed for combat use in low-light conditions, firearms, and high-capacity ammunition loads. Such materials require explicit federal authorization for export—authorization that neither Cox, Stashchyshyn, nor their unnamed co-conspirators possessed.

Authorities say the scheme exploited civilian shipping channels, relying on layered transactions and false declarations to mask the true nature of the cargo. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, alongside the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, tracked the illicit shipments for months before the case reached indictment stage.

If convicted, both defendants face up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The actual sentence, under federal guidelines, will hinge on the scope of the operation and any prior criminal records. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles A. Eberle and Shardul Desai are leading the prosecution.

An indictment is not a conviction. Michael Cox and Michael Stashchyshyn are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The case highlights ongoing federal scrutiny of unauthorized arms trafficking, especially when weapons are diverted to active conflict zones like Ukraine.