Russian swapped in Evan Gershkovich prisoner exchange smuggled US tech and ammo to Russian military
Suspected Russian spy Vadim Konoshchenok released as part of deal that brought WSJ reporter home
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One of the prisoners the U.S. released as part of an exchange to bring home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was a suspected Russian spy accused of smuggling American-made technology and ammunition to the Russian government.
Russian national Vadim Konoshchenok, who was extradited to the U.S. from Estonia a year ago to face charges for allegedly violating U.S. export laws and evading U.S. sanctions, is no longer in custody of the federal government, the Department of Justice confirmed Thursday.
President Biden speaks about the prisoner exchange with Russia in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
The U.S. first announced charges against Konoshchenok in 2022, along with several other defendants, in a suspected money laundering and smuggling ring that began operating at least as far back as 2017. The group was accused of using shell companies, fake addresses and counterfeit shipping labels in a transnational scheme that funneled American equipment from the U.S. to Russia.
Prosecutors believe Konoshchenok is linked to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the country's principal security agency and the main successor agency to the former Soviet Union’s KGB.
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The indictment claims Estonia was a frequently-used transshipment point in the smuggling operation, and Konoshchenok was stopped there "repeatedly" trying to smuggle "hundreds of thousands of American-made and export-controlled rounds into Russia, including 6.5 mm, 7 mm, .338 and .308 magnum rounds, which are commonly used by snipers, as well as military-grade .223 rounds."
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He was also busted allegedly trying to cross into Russia with approximately 35 different types of semiconductors and electronic components, including several U.S.-origin and export-controlled items. Estonian officials ultimately arrested him in October 2022, before handing him over to U.S. authorities.
"Vadim Konoshchenok allegedly provided cutting edge, American-developed technologies and ammunition to Russia for use in their illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," KleptoCapture Director Andrew Adams said at the time of the defendant's extradition.
If convicted, Konoshchenok faced up to 30 years in U.S. prison.
Three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia were released in the prisoner swap, including Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza.
A court in Russia sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who had been charged with espionage in the country, to 16 years in prison on July 19.
In addition to Konoshchenok, Russia obtained the release of Vadim Krasikov from Germany; Artem Viktorovich Dultsev from Slovenia; Anna Valerevna Dultseva from Slovenia; Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin from Norway; Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov from Poland; and Roman Seleznev and Vladislav Klyushin from the U.S.
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Fox News' Greg Whener contributed to this report.