US arrests businessman on suspicion of exporting chips to Russia, US Department of Justice reports

Los Angeles, USA (Svidomi) — In the United States, 66-year-old businessman Ilya Kahn was detained in Los Angeles on suspicion of exporting microchips made by American manufacturers to sanctioned Russian companies associated with the Russian Ministry of Defence and the Federal Security Service (FSS).

Ilya Kahn has US, Israeli and Russian citizenship. He is suspected of transferring millions of dollars worth of specialised US technology to a Russian chip manufacturer, the Electronic Computing and Information Systems Research and Production Centre. The centre cooperates with many other companies under US sanctions.

The businessman owns Senesys Incorporated and Sensor Design Association, which develop software and test silicon semiconductor wafers for aviation and space technology. 

Ilya Kahn was supplying chips to Russia even before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. For example, in 2019, he exported several US-origin microcontrollers to the Electronic Computing and Information Systems centre, and in 2022, he exported US network interface controllers and an RF transmitter to the same centre. 

Kahn also established cooperation with a Taiwanese company that produced microchips and subsequently supplied them to Russia via Hong Kong and China.

He faces up to 20 years in prison for violating the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).

After Russia launched its full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the US, EU and other countries imposed sanctions on Russia to limit Russia's access to technology and other resources that could support its military-industrial complex.