Houston Businessman Who Doubled as Russian Spy Gets 10 years

HOUSTON, TX — Alexander Fishenko was playing The Great Game, and lost. He was sentenced to 10-years in prison for selling restricted items to Russia, the judgment was handed down in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

From 2002 to 2012 Fishenko used his company, Arc Electronics, to acquire highly registered electrical components and ship them to Russia. His main client was the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The scam was fairly straightforward: Arc Electronics would buy the parts from legit manufacturers like Texas Instruments or Toshiba and then create dummy paper work for U.S. Department of Commerce inspectors. The parts would then be sent over to Russia.

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All told, Russia paid Arc Electronics about $50 million to smuggle parts commonly used in missile guidance systems, detonation triggers and radar systems out of the U.S.

As if that wasn't enough, Fishenko also pleaded guilty to helping Russia acquire a radar system that allows a fighter jet to target multiple targets at once.

In addition to funneling highly restricted parts out of the country, Fishenko also committed money laundering and obstruction of justice. Although he was the CEO of Arc Electronics, Fishenko was only one part of the conspiracy.

Five other people have pleaded guilty, another three are charged and another three are in the wind.