A Kyrgyzstani national has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for conspiring to export over $1 million in guns and ammunition to Russia, the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.
“The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this Office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons to flout U.S. sanctions.”
Sergei Zharnovnikov is accused of exporting more than $1.5 million worth of U.S.-manufactured guns from the U.S. to Russia starting around 2022.
According to export filings, the defendant exported semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without obtaining a license to export weapons.
“Sergei Zharnovnikov admitted to violating export control laws by exporting US semi-automatic firearms to Russia via Kyrgyzstan. Schemes designed to evade export laws are not only illegal but also endanger our country’s security. The FBI along with our partners will continue our efforts to defend the homeland by bringing to justice any criminal attempting to evade the laws enacted to protect our national security,” said Christopher G. Raia, FBI assistant director in charge.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.