Evergreen Reporter

The Justice Department has unsealed a criminal complaint charging Hungarian national Bence Horvath with violations of U.S. export controls targeting Russia. Horvath is accused of conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end users without a license. He faces one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA). Horvath was arrested upon arrival at San Francisco International Airport on August 23.

“As alleged, the defendant attempted to purchase military-grade radios for Russian entities using a multinational procurement chain to evade law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to disrupting and holding accountable criminal networks that continue to fuel Russian aggression abroad and threaten our collective security.”

“Targeting illicit global procurement networks that operate in the shadows to equip the Russian government is of the highest priority to BIS,” stated Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “As Horvath’s arrest demonstrates, it doesn’t matter where in the world you operate – when the United States believes your conduct violates our export laws, we take action.”

“This defendant allegedly sought to skirt U.S. export controls put in place to protect our national security and address Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” remarked U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice people who scheme to secure U.S. technology in violation of U.S. laws.”

Court documents indicate that Horvath and others managed a multinational procurement network contracting directly with various entities within the Russian government, working on large-scale projects such as constructing operational radio communications systems in Russia’s Kursk region along the Russian/Ukrainian border. The complaint alleges that Horvath arranged purchases of U.S.-origin radio communications technology and smuggled it through affiliates located in Spain, Serbia, Hungary, Latvia, and other locations.

Starting around January 2023, Horvath's network began discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting military-grade radios and related accessories manufactured in the United States for shipment to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.

Horvath purchased 200 military-grade radios intending their exportation to Russia; however, he was unsuccessful as U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment.

Homeland Security Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Department of Commerce are investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case.

Today's actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and Task Force KleptoCapture—interagency law enforcement groups aimed at preventing critical technology acquisition by authoritarian regimes following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A complaint is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

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