When Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago, the United States imposed sanctions on Moscow. Despite this, Israeli businessman Gal Haimovich chose to ignore them. His actions led to a legal entanglement with federal authorities in South Florida.
In a recent development, Haimovich admitted in a Miami federal court to orchestrating an international scheme that involved shipping aircraft parts and electronic equipment from US manufacturers to sanctioned Russian airline companies. This illicit operation saw Haimovich billing his co-conspirators over $2 million for facilitating the unauthorized shipments from Miami to Moscow.
The 42-year-old businessman pleaded guilty to charges of export control and smuggling violations. He now faces a potential five-year prison sentence. Haimovich confessed to misleading US companies about the true destination of the aircraft supplies, Russia, while submitting fraudulent information on export documents to the US government.
Authorities Outline Haimovich’s Scheme:
Starting with the transportation of an “air data module” to Moscow, the scheme involved deceptive practices to conceal the true destination of the goods. Throughout the period, Haimovich manipulated paperwork for various shipments, ultimately racking up a substantial bill for Russian aviation customers.
The Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement and the FBI spearheaded the investigation into this elaborate scheme.