US CEO Accused of Aiding Russian Agents in Secret Service Contract Scheme

An American tech CEO has been accused of orchestrating a scheme with Russian nationals to hide the ownership of his digital forensics company, Oxygen Forensics, to secure U.S. government contracts, including one with the Secret Service.

Lee Reiber, 52, CEO of Alexandria, Virginia-based Oxygen Forensics, and Oleg Sergeyevich Davydov, 52, a Russian national based in Moscow, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

The alleged plot involved Reiber, an American citizen, falsely assuring U.S. agencies that the company was not owned by Russians and that Russian nationals had no role in developing its software. Prosecutors contend that Davydov and four other Russian nationals were the actual owners of Oxygen Forensics through a Cypriot holding company. The company's software, developed in Russia, had previously been sold to Russian government entities, including the Federal Security Service.

Davydov founded Oxygen Forensics in 2013, with Reiber joining in 2015. Reiber was appointed CEO after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to the complaint, the Russian owners continued to make key decisions, control compensation, and hold signatory authority over the company's bank accounts, using Reiber as the public face of the company while concealing its Russian ownership.

Reiber allegedly certified to the U.S. government in December 2022 and again in October 2023 that Oxygen Forensics had no "immediate or highest-level owner." However, the complaint states that Russian nationals continued to direct the company's operations and finances. Following a reporter's inquiry about Oxygen's Russian ties in November 2023, Reiber reportedly warned Davydov and other owners that the resulting publicity could jeopardize the company's business opportunities with the U.S. government, stating that "the current existence of this company hangs in the balance."

Despite these concerns, the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), an entity operated by the Secret Service, awarded Oxygen Forensics a five-year contract in September 2024 for its software. The contract file reportedly included Reiber's certification that no foreign person had the power to control the company's directors or other decisions. Further certifications to the Department of War in July 2024 and the Department of Homeland Security in March 2026 claimed no Russian involvement in the software's development or access to its build environment. The company's website also stated it had "no development presence in any restricted jurisdiction."

The complaint does not allege that the software itself contained malicious code or was used for unauthorized access to customer data. The charges focus on the alleged deception regarding the company's ownership and development ties.

Reiber was arrested in Idaho and appeared in an Idaho court this week. He is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles federal court in the coming weeks. U.S. authorities are also seeking Davydov's extradition from Britain, where he was arrested at London Heathrow Airport. Both men face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.