Two Charged in Scheme to Illegally Export Night Sighting Equipment, Firearms and Ammo to Ukraine

PITTSBURGH - One Michigan resident and one New Jersey resident have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count indictment named Michael Cox, 42, of Beverly Hills, Michigan, and Michael Stashchyshyn, 55, of Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, as defendants.

According to the indictment, Cox and Stashchyshyn conspired with others to export night sighting equipment, firearms and ammunition to Ukraine without the requisite license issued by the State Department. The items were purchased in the United States by Cox and others, and shipped to Stashchyshyn who owns a freight forwarder business in Parsippany, New Jersey. Stashchyshyn then shipped the items to an individual in Ukraine in violation of U.S. law and regulations. The items shipped are contained on the Federal Munitions List and are controlled by the International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) regulations. They are illegal to ship without a license from the State Department, which the defendants and their co-conspirators did not have.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Charles A. Eberle and Shardul Desai are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.