A Russian expat living in Florida has been convicted for illegally exporting nearly $1 million in aircraft parts to his home country. Alexander Mamonov, a former employee of Russian flag carrier Aeroflot, was found to have masterminded a scheme to secretly ship hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of components to the sanctioned airline.
Scheme details and charges
Mamonov, 62, lied to suppliers about the parts’ destination, claiming they were intended for other countries including China and the UAE. The resident of south Florida co-conspired with Ignat Vakorin, who remains on the run, to ship the more than $900,000 worth of equipment. The pair were charged by indictment in April 2025.
Mamonov was convicted this week on 12 counts, including illegal export of items subject to ECRA, conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling of goods, submitting false or misleading export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was found by a jury to have used fake labels and financial transactions to conceal the destination of his exports.
Sanctions context and official responses
Aeroflot was banned from receiving goods of American origin, including Boeing aircraft and parts, as part of sanctions imposed on Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said: ‘This guilty verdict – on all counts – shows the United States government’s resolute commitment to upholding our export-control laws and to prosecuting those who violate them. The National Security Division and our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement partners will continue to safeguard U.S.-controlled items from being exported unlawfully.’
Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said: ‘You cannot put a fake destination on a shipping label and make American export laws disappear. This defendant conspired to secretly funnel nearly $1 million in American aircraft parts to Russia and Aeroflot, then used false destinations and financial transactions to conceal what he was doing. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who use our district, our financial system, or American businesses to undermine U.S. national security.’
