Virginia Tech CEO and Russian National Charged with Concealing Company's Russian Ownership from U.S. Government
Lee Reiber, CEO of Virginia-based Oxygen Forensics, and Russian national Oleg Davydov have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly concealing the company’s Russian ownership from U.S. government agencies. The allegations stem from a former employee's public claims in a YouTube video earlier this year, which led to legal action by the firm before the criminal case was made public. Oxygen Forensics provides digital forensics software used by law enforcement and federal agencies such as the Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations. According to prosecutors, for years the company falsely represented itself as independently owned in the U.S., while Russian nationals secretly controlled it through a Cyprus-based holding company. Reiber became CEO shortly before these ownership ties were removed from public records following increased sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The case has led to the seizure of Oxygen Forensics’ corporate bank accounts and 57 web domains under a warrant issued in September. The firm had recently secured a $12 million contract with the Secret Service, based partly on false certifications by Reiber that it was independent.
Topics: conspiracy digital forensics fraud government contracts