A Kyrgyz national, Sergei Zharnovnikov, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to conspiracy for illegal arms exportation to Russia, which is a clear violation of U.S. law. As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Zharnovnikov's actions to successfully smuggle firearms worth over $1.5 million could land him up to two decades behind bars.
Zharnovnikov, the proprietor of a Bishkek-based arms dealer, conspired to redirect U.S. firearms through Kyrgyzstan directly to Russia. The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) had authorized an export to Kyrgyzstan, but specifically prohibited to subsequently move the military-hardened goods to Russian turf. However, Zharnovnikov admitted to have purposefully exported and re-exported these lethal wares, including hybrid semi-automatic rifle-pistols, blatantly shunning the imposed sanctions.
"The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia," United States Attorney Joseph Nocella stated, as cited by the Justice Department's press release. The FBI's Assistant Director in Charge, Christopher G. Raia, underscored that these illicit schemes not only break the law but also threaten national security. He reaffirmed the FBI's commitment to relentlessly pursue and prosecute those evading laws meant to safeguard America, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Central to this operation was a $900,000 contract established by Zharnovnikov for the purpose of acquiring and exporting firearms from a U.S. company to his outfit in Kyrgyzstan. That deal unraveled into transgressions when the arms found their way to Russia. Court filings elucidate that on one such occasion, semi-automatic rifles left JFK International Airport bound ostensibly for Kyrgyzstan but ultimately surfaced in Russia, implicating the defendant who did not possess the license required to re-export these goods to Russia.
The prosecution, led by Assistant United States Attorney Ellen H. Sise, with assistance from Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, stands firm in front of this breach of international trade laws. The case is managed by the Office's National Security and Cybercrime Section.
