The person at the center of this case
United States (conspiracy to defraud)
Justice for United States (conspiracy to defraud) — the trail went cold in 2022, but the truth hasn't.
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What is Aleksey Ippolitov's current location and how is he evading capture?
What specific advanced technologies and equipment were successfully smuggled, and what damage did their transfer to Russia cause?
Who were the key co-conspirators in the Serniya/Sertal network and have they been apprehended?
Aleksey Ippolitov, a purported Russian SVR intelligence officer, is wanted for leading an illegal procurement network called Serniya/Sertal that smuggled advanced U.S. military and dual-use technologies to Russia between 2017 and 2022, including equipment for quantum computing, hypersonic missiles, and nuclear weapons development. The conspiracy involved multiple Russian government agencies, research institutes, and the space corporation ROSCOSMOS, with Ippolitov facilitating the unlawful sourcing and shipment of sensitive items from American manufacturers. He was indicted in December 2022 on charges including bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and export control violations, and remains at large as a fugitive.
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Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
Which U.S. manufacturers were targeted for procurement, and how did the network identify and approach them?
What financial trails and banking records document the money laundering operations supporting this procurement scheme?
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Official wording
Conspiracy to Defraud the United States; Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); Bank Fraud Conspiracy; Wire Fraud Conspiracy; Wire Fraud; Money Laundering Conspiracy; Money Laundering; Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA); Smuggling Goods from the United States; Failure to File Electronic Export Information Caution: Aleksey Ippolitov, a purported SVR intelligence officer, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the Russian-backed procurement network Serniya/Sertal from 2017 to 2022. Ippolitov and his co-conspirators allegedly unlawfully sourced, purchased, and shipped military and sensitive dual-use technologies from United States manufacturers to Russian end users.
These items included advanced testing equipment used in quantum computing, hypersonic missiles, nuclear weapons development, and other military and space-based military applications. Serniya’s clients included the National Research Nuclear University of the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute; the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service ("SVR"); and various components of the Federal Security Service ("FSB"), Russia's principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union's KGB.
Ippolitov was affiliated with the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Electromechanics, a Moscow-based research institute and a subsidiary of ROSCOSMOS, the Russian state space corporation, which developed satellites and military spacecraft. He was also affiliated with the All-Russian Research Institute for Optical and Physical Measurements ("VNIIOFI").
Ippolitov was indicted by the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn, New York, on December 5, 2022, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. Remarks: Aleksey Ippolitov is believed to be a Russian intelligence officer for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, also known as SVR.
Alleged illegal procurement network begins sourcing and shipping U.S. military and dual-use technologies to Russian end users
Aleksey Ippolitov indicted by U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York on multiple charges including conspiracy to defraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and export control violations