Wisconsin man pleads guilty to illegally smuggling lab equipment to Russia
A Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to using his company to funnel scientific and diagnostic research equipment to Russia, circumventing U.S. sanctions imposed on the country after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Andrew Pogosyan, 68, a U.S. citizen born in Russia, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court. He's charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and smuggling goods from the U.S.
In 2022, United States commerce officials imposed new export control regulations in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Those rules were later expanded to include licensing requirements for items that could help Russia produce chemical and biological weapons.
From September 2022 to October 2023, Pogosyan used his company, Omega Diagnostics LLC, to evade those restrictions and smuggle research equipment to Russia without the required licenses. One of the shipments was reportedly to a Russian company that performed chemical research for the Russian military.
He conspired with Russia and used third-party countries, including Turkey, Latvia, and Lithuania, to smuggle the goods without getting a license.
Pogosyan faces up to 35 years in prison and is set to be sentenced on October 7.
"Mr. Pogosyan threatened the national security of the United States by violating sanctions and illegally exporting scientific laboratory equipment to companies in Russia," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. 'The FBI continues to tirelessly work with our law enforcement partners to investigate anyone who helps foreign adversaries evade sanctions. Pogosyan's actions undermined the protections put in place to ensure U.S. national security."
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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