Ilya Kahn, a 66-year-old citizen of the United States, Israel, and Russia, was detained in Los Angeles for allegedly participating in a massive plan to illegally transfer classified US technology. The allegations, which include conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), highlight Kahn’s role in providing crucial technology to a Russian corporation sanctioned by the US government during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Kahn, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles, California, is suspected of illegally exporting microcontrollers and semiconductors to a Russian firm linked with the military and Federal Security Service (FSB).
As the owner of Senesys Incorporated and Sensor Design Association, Kahn purportedly orchestrated the illegal export of sophisticated electronics, evading U.S. export laws and regulations. The sanctioned Russian business, Joint Stock Company Research and Development Center ELVEES, featured on the Entity List, faced sanctions from both the Commerce Department and the Treasury Department. If convicted, Kahn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI and the Department of Commerce’s BIS New York Field Office are leading the investigation, emphasizing the government’s commitment to preventing the illicit transfer of technology to entities supporting adversarial regimes.
SOURCE: JUSTICE GOV | JANUARY 19 2024