Alexander Mamonov, a Russian national living in South Florida, was convicted on all 12 counts Thursday after secretly funneling nearly $1 million in American aircraft parts to Russia and state-owned airline Aeroflot, lying to U.S. suppliers at every step to make it happen. A federal jury didn't buy it.
Mamonov, 62, a former Aeroflot employee, was found guilty of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, illegal exports, smuggling, submitting false export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The Commerce Department tightened export controls on Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It also issued a temporary denial order barring Aeroflot from receiving U.S.-origin goods. The restrictions were designed to cut off Russia's access to American technology that could keep its military and civilian aircraft flying. Aeroflot, which is majority-owned by the Russian government, was a specific target; U.S. officials determined it was effectively an extension of the Kremlin's interests. That made any American who helped route parts to the airline not just a smuggler but someone actively working to undermine U.S. sanctions policy.
Prosecutors said Mamonov and Russian national Ignat Vakorin lied about where the aircraft parts were going. U.S. suppliers were told the shipments were headed to places including the United Arab Emirates and China. They actually went to Russia and Aeroflot.
Vakorin, indicted alongside Mamonov in April 2025, remains a fugitive. He is believed to be in Russia, beyond the immediate reach of U.S. authorities. Prosecutors say they aren't done looking for Vakorin either.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida summed it up after the verdict:
“Russia cannot evade American sanctions and export controls by routing its purchases through South Florida. You cannot put a fake destination on a shipping label and make American export laws disappear.”
Prosecutors said Mamonov and Vakorin also used financial transactions to hide the shipments while acquiring and sending more than $900,000 in aircraft parts. Mamonov's case isn't unique; however, two other Russian nationals in Florida ran the same basic scam in 2024 and pleaded guilty. Lie about the destination, ship to Russia anyway, get caught.
The FBI's Miami Field Office investigated the Mamonov case with assistance from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Paul Cronin and Trial Attorney Brett Ruff are prosecuting Mamonov's case.
Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, said the verdict should serve as a warning.
“The FBI and its partners will continue to prioritize the enforcement of export laws and sanctions to defend the homeland. Let this verdict serve as a warning to anyone considering smuggling U.S. technology to our adversaries.”
Mamonov is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 20 by U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. Violations of the Export Control Reform Act can carry up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million per count.