A Bulgarian man has been charged with smuggling nearly $400,000 of military- or nuclear-grade electronics from Colorado to Russia.
Tsvetan Kanev, 45, faces a total of 50 years in prison and a $1 million fine for one count of smuggling and two counts violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Between Oct. 2, 2015, and June of 2016, Kanev allegedly smuggled clock drivers used to optimize high performance microprocessors and communications systems from Colorado and other parts of the U.S., according to an indictment in U.S. District Court in Denver.
“The parts are very sensitive,” Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney Robert Troyer, said Tuesday.
The indictment was originally filed in January of 2017. Kanev remains in Bulgaria.
“We are trying to bring him back through international channels,” Dorschner said.
Kanev also is accused of smuggling and attempting to smuggle random access memory multi-chip modules that control military- or nuclear-grade computer equipment, according to court records. Kanev had his own company, Dorschner said.
Kanev also had ties to an international company that markets semiconductors. He has expertise in managing major customers and accounts in Bulgaria, a company brochure says. Dorschner said that company is not under investigation.
The indictment does not indicate where Kanev obtained the equipment and Dorschner said he could not comment about the supplier. Kanev received the equipment that he would later smuggle in Teller County, Dorschner said.
Only those with Bureau of Industry and Security licenses are allowed to export the high-technology equipment, the indictment says. The most sensitive items are not listed and instead have identification numbers.
Kanev allegedly smuggled equipment included on the list of most sensitive items, the indictment says. Kanev allegedly sold the equipment for $372,432.
