A man who once owned a Buffalo Grove company is facing federal charges of illegally exporting gun parts and other related items to a Ukrainian company, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On October 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced an indictment handed down against Glenn Stepul, 33, a former resident of Wheeling whom the government states now is believed to live in Miami Beach, Fla.
According to the indictment Stepul, who had owned a Buffalo Grove horizontal drilling equipment business, worked with a Ukrainian resident – who is also indicted – and another unindicted co-conspirator to export or attempt to export gun parts from the U.S. to Ukraine from 2014 to 2016.
This occurred without the approval of the U.S. State Department, a violation of the Arms Export Control Act, the government said.
“The charges allege that Stepul commingled and concealed some of the export-controlled items inside shipments of drilling equipment sent to Ukraine. One such shipment was intercepted by customs officials in Lviv, Ukraine, in September 2014, the indictment states. Stepul had completed a customs declaration falsely describing the items inside the parcel as “household goods,” “cosmetics,” “toys,” “stationary,” and “cassettes,” the U.S. Attorney’s Offices stated in a news release announcing the indictment.
Stepul pleaded not guilty during a federal court hearing Oct. 8 and he is scheduled to appear in court again Dec. 16.
Stepul’s attorney did not respond to Pioneer Press requests for comment.
The three men are also accused of attempting to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by either exporting or trying to export rifle scopes and night visions cameras to Ukraine, without U.S. Commerce Department permission, according to the indictment.
Stepul also faces additional charges related to export control, making false statements and smuggling, according to the U.S. attorney.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Yakin who is believed to be living in Ukraine, officials said in news release.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer.