U.S. arrests laser tech salesman over Russia sanctions breach

A former salesman of laser welding machines was arrested in the United States on charges of illegally exporting equipment to Russia’s Rosatom subsidiary.

This is reported by Reuters, Ukrinform saw.

It is noted that Sam Bhambhani is accused of collaborating with a Russian national who resold laser equipment to the Russian government. It is alleged that both used falsified export documents to conceal from the U.S. government the true end-user of the equipment.

According to the indictment, Bhambhani worked as a salesman for a global supplier of laser equipment used for welding, marking, cutting, deep-engraving and motion systems with facilities in Rhode Island and Florida.

It is noted that the equipment was sold from 2015 to 2021 to a Rosatom subsidiary in Yekaterinburg that produced components for nuclear munitions and various civilian goods.

Charging documents allege that Bhambhani occasionally discussed with the alleged middleman, Russian national Maxim Teslenko, the need to find ways to circumvent U.S. export controls to make sales possible.

Teslenko was also charged. According to court documents, he is a Moscow resident.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. government further restricted the ability of companies to export goods that Russia can use in its defense, aerospace, and maritime industries.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, a Russian citizen was arrested in Japan on charges of evading the sanctions imposed on Russia in March 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.