WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said Tuesday two Russians and two Italians have been charged for attempting to ship a sensitive mining equipment to Russia.
The DoJ cited a newly unsealed indictment as saying four people conspired to purchase a Vectra 40G power turbine in the United States and ship it to Russia by disguising the shipment's destination, in order to evade a standing U.S. sanction.
The turbine, described as an equipment that enables deep-water drilling, was prohibited to be exported to Russia by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The charge was brought against Russian nationals Oleg Vladislavovich Nikitin and Anton Cheremukhin and Italian nationals Gabriele Villone and Bruno Caparini.
One U.S. citizen, Dali Bagrou, who allegedly assisted the operation by committing to wire fraud and money laundering, was also charged in the case.
The statement said Nikitin, Villone, and Bagrou were arrested in the U.S. state of Georgia as the transaction is being completed.
