Dual U.S.-Russian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Sending Weapon Components to Russia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Dimitry Timashev, a 58-year-old dual U.S.-Russian citizen, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization.

According to court documents, from at least July 2020 to 2023, Timashev coordinated with an associate in Russia to send weapon parts from the United States to Russia. In exchange, the associate paid tuition for Timashev’s daughter and rent for an apartment in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Timashev’s associate provided the defendant with the names and addresses to which the firearm components and ammunition were sent. Before July 6, 2022, all the packages were shipped to Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Timashev could no longer create a U.S. Postal Service label to send packages of firearm components to Russia. Instead, Timashev’s associate directed him to send the components to his relative’s apartment in Kazakhstan, from where the goods would be sent to Russia.

Timashev attempted to send multiple packages of components to Kazakhstan, knowing they were ultimately bound for Russia. He also knew exporting the parts through Kazakhstan to Russia required a license from the Department of Commerce that he did not have. Timashev concealed the illegal exports by misrepresenting the contents of the shipments on the accompanying manifests.

Timashev is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation into the case was led by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the ATF, Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tracy Varghese of NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.