BOSTON, Sept 9 (Askume) – A former salesman for a laser welding machine maker was arrested on Monday on charges of conspiring to circumvent U.S. export control laws to sell his company’s products to a unit of Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom.
Sam Bhambhani is accused of working with a Russian national to resell laser equipment to the Russian government. He allegedly used forged export documents to conceal the actual end users of the machines from the US government.
Bambani, a resident of North Attleborough, Massachusetts, was released on a personal recognizance bond after pleading not guilty to conspiracy and trafficking charges during a court hearing in Boston. Defense attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the indictment, Bhambhani was employed as a salesperson for a global supplier of laser equipment used in welding, marking, cutting, deep engraving and motion systems, with facilities located in Rhode Island and Florida.
According to the indictment, the equipment was sold between 2015 and 2021 to a subsidiary of Rosatom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, which produces parts for nuclear weapons and various civilian items.
Charging documents allege that Bahani sometimes discussed with the alleged dealer, a Russian citizen named Maxim Teslenko, whether he needed to find a way around US export controls to make the sale possible.
“Additionally, we must address shipping and invoicing issues as there are now greater controls on Russian exports,” the indictment states.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 , the US government banned companies from exporting Russian products that could be used in the defense, aerospace, and maritime industries.
Teslenko is also charged in the indictment. He lives in Moscow and is not in US custody, according to court records. The defense lawyer could not be identified.
