Avionics company owner sentenced to prison for thwarting U.S. Customs laws
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS / Thursday, September 17, 2026 – A Kansas businessman was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating United States customs laws by selling advanced aviation technology to Russian end users.
According to court documents, Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 63, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering.
Buyanovsky is the former president and owner of KanRus Trading Company, a Kansas-based avionics enterprise. As part of his plea agreement, Buyanovsky consented to the forfeiture of over $450,000 worth of avionics equipment and accessories and a $50,000 personal forfeiture judgment.
After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. government tightened export controls concerning Russia. Buyanovsky and KanRus vice president Douglas Edward Robertson, 59, of Olathe conspired to continue to purchase, sell, and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Robertson pleaded guilty to export control and money laundering violations and was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
“Congress put trade restrictions in place to discourage Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine. The defendants ignored those laws and saw the war not as a humanitarian crisis, but as a business opportunity to boost their profits,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.
“The sentencing of Mr. Buyanovsky marks the final chapter of an investigation that exposed a deliberate conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export-control laws and facilitate the unlawful transfer of advanced aviation technology to Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. This case underscores the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting the integrity of our nation’s export-control system and holding accountable those who seek to undermine it. Our message is clear: The FBI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and government partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt any efforts to exploit our laws,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.
A third defendant, Oleg Chistyakov, a/k/a Olegs Čitsjakovs, 57, of the Republic of Latvia, acted as a broker for KanRus. He was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to his part in the conspiracy.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement investigated the case. The Latvian authorities assisted in the investigation while U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas as well as Adam Barry, a former trial attorney of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
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Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Kansas
