A 41-year-old former United States military member and resident of Corona, Igor Panchernikov, recently pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act after being extradited from Israel to the United States. He is facing a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Co-conspirators in Exportation Crime

Between December 2016 and May 2018, Panchernikov conspired with others to knowingly export defense articles from the US to Russia without getting a valid license or other approval from the State Department. His co-conspirators purchased defense articles, including weapons sights, monoculars, thermal riflescopes, and night vision goggles from different online sellers. Panchernikov apparently inspected the items once they arrived and made sure they were fully functional. After that, he mailed 17 defense articles to a co-conspirator in Illinois, who later mailed them to Russia.

Panchernikov himself only sent two items directly to Russia, but to obscure his illegal actions, he not only listed fake sender names on the packages, but he also falsely identified the items in the packages as non-export-controlled items and hid the defense articles in other items, like a drill press.

In addition to Panchernikov, the other co-conspirators included Elena Shifrin, Vladimir Pridacha, Boris Polosin, and Vladimir Gohman. Shifrin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, but Pridacha has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges. His trial is set for August 29, 2023. Both Polosin and Gohman are fugitives of the law.

Hiring a Qualified Defense Attorney

All defendants should be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In California, there are plenty of opportunities to defend against a conspiracy charge, including proving that there was never an agreement to begin with or an overt act that was participated in. Attorney Vitaly Sigal of Sigal Law Group is a qualified and knowledgeable defense attorney who will work tirelessly to create a strategic defense on your behalf. Call 818-325-0579 today for a free consultation.