A two-count indictment against Vladimir Jovancic, a 52-year-old citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina residing in Serbia, was unsealed Monday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. He was charged with obstruction of justice and helping to escape from custody. Jovancic was arrested on December 4 in Croatia. As part of the undercover operation, Italian authorities also arrested a second suspect on December 4.
Jovancic is allegedly one of several people who helped Artem Uss, a defendant in United States v. Orekhov et al., escape from Italy to Russia after an Italian court ordered Uss extradited to the United States to face charges.
The United States is accused of leading a multibillion-dollar global smuggling scheme of military and dual-use technology and Venezuelan oil purchased by oligarchs and sanctioned Russian companies.
“The suspect allegedly helped a Kremlin associate escape justice, but is now in the hands of US authorities,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This case demonstrates the capabilities of the Department of Justice and further exposes the criminal networks that support the Russian regime as it wages its illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine.”
“The suspect helped Artem Uss evade justice on charges of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, evading sanctions and aiding oligarchs,” said U.S. Attorney Brion Peace of the Eastern District of New York. – I want to thank our Italians for their invaluable help and support. “We will continue to work together to ensure that everyone involved in this clear pattern of obstruction of justice is held accountable.”
“The suspect’s clear lack of respect for the law did not go unanswered. This indictment and arrest demonstrate the FBI’s continued focus on bringing to justice those who help criminals evade American law, no matter where they try to hide, said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to aggressively investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable those who enable corrupt practices that threaten our nation and our institutions.”
“Today’s actions are a warning to anyone considering illegally assisting sanctioned Russian elites and their collaborators,” said David Lim, co-chair of the anti-corruption task force. “If you break our laws, we will use every tool available and our international partnerships to pursue you until you are brought to justice.”
Additionally, the State Department has offered a reward of up to $7 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Reward Program (TOCRP) for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Artem a Uss.
According to the indictment and other court documents, Artem Uss, son of Alexander Uss, governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, owns stakes in several companies registered in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and elsewhere, and also owns a post USS also owns several major assets in Italy, including a luxury hotel in Sardinia, vineyards and other real estate.
Artem Uss and his partner Yuri Orekhov allegedly organized a transnational fraud, smuggling and money laundering operation under the auspices of Nord-Deutsche Industrieanlagenbau GmbH (NDA GmbH), a private industrial equipment and raw materials trading company based in Hamburg.
Using NDA GmbH as a front, Uss and Orekhov purchased military and dual-use technologies from American manufacturers, including advanced semiconductor and microprocessor technologies used in fighter aircraft, missile systems, smart munitions, radars, satellites, and space warfare. These products were shipped to Russian end users, including sanctioned companies providing services in the Russian defense sector.
Various types of electronic components obtained through this criminal scheme were found in Russian weapons captured on the battlefield in Ukraine. Uss and Orekhov also used NDA GmbH as a front to smuggle hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela to Russian and Chinese buyers, including a Russian aluminum company controlled by a sanctioned oligarch and the largest oil, gas and petrochemicals conglomerate in the country. world based in Beijing. .
Uss was arrested in Milan on October 17, 2022, following a temporary arrest request from the United States. Following his arrest, despite the objections of Italian and American prosecutors, Uss was released under house arrest at his home in Milan. On March 21, an Italian court approved Uss’s extradition to the United States. The next day, Uss escaped house arrest and left Italy, moving to Russia with the help of several people, including Vladimir Jovancic.
The investigation into the Uss flight revealed that in January 2023, Jovancic and others associated with a Serbian organized crime group were recruited by Uss to assist him on his flight to Russia if the extradition was approved. Jovancic met with Ussa’s wife at a hotel in Milan, where they planned to have Jovancic deliver food to Ussa’s residence in Milan. Ussa’s wife also provided Jovancic with a mobile phone and a deposit of 10,000 euros for his services. Jovancic was later given a key to directly access Uss’ residence.
On the day of Uss’s escape, after the decision of the Italian court, Jovancic and several other accomplices arrived at the Russian’s residence. Using a bolt cutter, Jovancic removed Uss’s electronic bracelet and threw it into the street. Jovancic and his accomplice then took Uss across the border into Slovenia. Over the next few days, Jovancic and his accomplice transported Uss through Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before crossing the Serbian border, where Uss paid Jovancic an additional €40,000 before boarding a plane to Russia.
If convicted, Jovancic faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
