Russian National Convicted in U.S. Aircraft-Parts Sanctions Evasion and Money Laundering Scheme
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has convicted Russian national and Florida resident Alexander Mamonov on all 12 counts arising from a scheme to illegally export more than $900,000 in U.S.-origin aircraft parts to Russia and state-owned airline PJSC Aeroflot.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the verdict on August 28, 2026. Mamonov, 62, was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, illegal exports of controlled items, conspiracy to commit smuggling, smuggling, submitting false or misleading export information, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for November 20.
Aircraft parts routed through false destinations
Following Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce tightened export restrictions on Russia and issued a temporary denial order preventing Aeroflot from receiving U.S.-origin goods. According to DOJ, Mamonov — a former Aeroflot employee who later moved to South Florida — conspired with Russian national Ignat Vakorin to obtain aircraft parts from U.S. suppliers and secretly route them to Russia and Aeroflot.
Prosecutors said the conspirators misled U.S. suppliers about the true destination of the goods, including by representing that parts were being shipped to locations such as the United Arab Emirates and China. Vakorin was charged with Mamonov in April 2025 and remains a fugitive.
Money laundering conviction
DOJ said Mamonov also used financial transactions to conceal the export scheme, resulting in a conviction for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The department’s public release does not set out the individual transactions underlying that count, so the precise laundering route has not been publicly detailed.
The case was investigated by the FBI Miami Field Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. The verdict is a criminal conviction, not merely a sanctions designation or administrative export-control action.
