A Harrisburg man has been slapped with federal charges, accused of a shady trade in ghost guns, after allegedly getting caught with a trove of unregistered firearms and firearm parts, which, according to the Department of Justice, included some shipped all the way from China.
Yaroslav Vishnevski, 31, faces serious time for three counts of receipt or possession of unregistered firearms, and that's just the beginning—he's also charged with manufacturing an NFA weapon without paying the tax, importing an illegal firearm, and possession of a firearm that had its serial number wiped clean, as the Justice Department reported.
The feds' case against Vishnevski came to a head after a parcel, supposedly from China, was snatched up by federal officials, leading to the discovery of two firearm silencers. Things ramped up when agencies swooped in on May 2 for a controlled delivery and search warrant execution at Vishnevski's pad.
"Individuals who produce privately-made firearms (PMF) must adhere to state and federal laws to register the devices to help ensure responsible ownership," U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe emphasized, highlighting the government's crackdown on these dicey dealings, "The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our state and federal partners to combat unlawful gun trafficking," as you can read more on the DOJ's statement.
Law enforcement agents, ATF, and Homeland Security investigations found the two silencers, a rifle with another silencer, 3D printers spitting out suspected illegal silencer parts, along with 3D-printed firearm frames and two short-barreled rifles that hadn't been registered, said officials. The seizure also included a CNC machine, known among gunsmithing circles as a Ghost Gunner, which is commonly used to finish homemade firearms.
Despite the charges, it's important to remember that an indictment ain't nothing but a piece of paper with allegations, and until proven otherwise by a jury's verdict, Vishnevski remains innocent, something the DOJ was careful to point out. The government's gunning is to take away Vishnevski’s hardware, including a Glock, two PMF-style rifles, and a shotgun.
