Businessman who exported microchips to Russia is arrested in US

Businessman Ilya Kahn, who is accused of sending semiconductors to sanctioned companies that are associated with the Russian secret services and the military, has been arrested in Los Angeles.

Source: US Department of Justice

As is noted, Ilya Kahn is the owner of Senesys Incorporated, based in California, and Sensor Design Association, which has a contact address in Brooklyn. 

Kahn ran these two companies, which were ostensibly engaged in "security software development" and testing silicon wafers for military avionics and astronauts.

Through them, he participated in a long-standing conspiracy to purchase and export sensitive and sophisticated electronics from the United States to a sanctioned Russian company, Elvees Research and Design Center.

It is alleged that Kahn also organised the re-export of Taiwanese chips to Russia. 

Elvees continued to receive Taiwanese-made semiconductors after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Furthermore, after the Taiwanese company that manufactured the semiconductors designed by Elvees refused to ship these semiconductors to Russia, Kahn arranged for them to be sent to the United States and then re-exported to Russia.

If convicted, Kahn faces up to 20 years in prison.

Note:

Over the past year, Chinese military and state artificial intelligence research institutes and universities have been purchasing small batches of Nvidia A100 and H100 semiconductors that the US had banned for export to China.

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