Greek businessman suspected of spying for Russia arrested in Paris

The case against Bogonikolos portrays him as a man with access to sophisticated military technology

A Greek national and NATO contractor has been arrested under suspicion he helped Russia obtain advanced military technologies related to quantum computing and nuclear testing, the Justice Department said this week.

Nikolaos “Nikos” Bogonikolos, 59, faces charges tied to wire fraud and smuggling, documents unsealed Tuesday in federal court said.

Bogonikolos, of Athens, Greece, was arrested in Paris last week and faces extradition to the U.S., a Justice Department statement said Tuesday.

The case against Bogonikolos portrays him as a man with access to sophisticated military technology, which he smuggled to blacklisted companies tied to Russia’s intelligence services.

“As alleged, while ostensibly operating as a defense contractor for NATO and other ally countries, the defendant and his Aratos Group were double-dealing, helping to fuel Russia’s war effort and their development of next generation weapons,” U.S. attorney Breon Peace said in a statement Tuesday.

Bogonikolos helmed the Aratos Group, a defense and technology conglomerate with ties to NATO in his home country and the Netherlands, the criminal complaint said.

An Aratos Group subsidiary was a NATO Innovation Challenge finalist in 2021 for a proposal involving the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology for satellites and spacecraft, the Justice Department said.

Bogonikolos began working with a network of companies tied to Russian intelligence in 2017, the complaint stated.