WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Belorussian citizen has been extradited from France to the United States to face charges of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, smuggling, money laundering, and defrauding the United States, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Yana Leonova, also known as “Yana Liavonava,” 33, made her initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after being extradited on an indictment alleging she illegally procured and exported U.S.-made avionics and aircraft components to Russia through intermediary countries following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
According to the indictment, Leonova and co-conspirators in the United States purchased aircraft equipment from U.S. distributors and transshipped it through Armenia, the Maldives, and other locations to Russia without required export licenses. The components were allegedly intended for private aircraft operated by her former employer, a company listed on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.
U.S. Attorney Pirro stated that Leonova “tried to circumvent U.S. law to enrich herself by procuring and illicitly exporting avionics and other prohibited equipment.” FBI officials said the case demonstrates their commitment to preventing sensitive U.S. technology from reaching adversaries.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office and the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement in Atlanta and New York, with assistance from French authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
