New Jersey Man Sentenced for Role in Global Russian Sanctions Evasion Scheme

A New Jersey resident and dual United States and Russian national has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a transnational arms trafficking and money laundering conspiracy that helped supply Russia with sensitive American technology and military-grade ammunition.

Vadim Yermolenko, who pleaded guilty in November 2024, admitted to conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, engaging in bank fraud conspiracy, and defrauding the United States. In addition to his custodial sentence, he has been ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of 75,547 dollars.

According to federal prosecutors, Yermolenko was tied to Moscow-based procurement companies Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, both of which were sanctioned by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in February 2022. These companies operated an extensive network of shell firms and bank accounts across multiple jurisdictions to disguise the Russian state’s role in illicit purchases of US-made dual-use technology.

Authorities said Yermolenko helped set up shell companies and banking structures to move more than 12 million dollars in illicit funds, while concealing the true end users of US-origin electronics. Some of the export-controlled equipment acquired had potential applications in nuclear weapons, hypersonic missile development, radar, surveillance systems, and quantum computing.

One intercepted shipment included sniper ammunition purchased with funds from Yermolenko’s accounts, which was seized in Estonia before being smuggled into Russia.

Co-defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos has already been sentenced to 15 months in prison, while co-defendant Alexey Brayman awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.

US Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York stated that the 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.

The investigation was led by the FBI’s New York Field Office, the US Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with critical support from US Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Estonian authorities.

This case highlights the continuing efforts of the United States to disrupt Russian sanctions evasion networks, protect sensitive military technology, and prosecute those who attempt to channel dual-use goods into Moscow’s war machine.

Read the press release here.