Brooklyn’s federal court concluded a case involving illegal international arms dealings, sentencing Kyrgyz national Sergei Zharnovnikov to 39 months in prison. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Zharnovnikov conspired to export more than $1.5 million worth of U.S.-made firearms and ammunition to Russia, routing them illegally through Kyrgyzstan. He is not a lawful permanent resident and faces potential deportation following his sentence.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, highlighted the seriousness of Zharnovnikov’s actions, stating that he purchased U.S.-made, military-grade firearms and ammunition and reexported them to Russia, including types reportedly used in the conflict in Ukraine. Nocella noted that this sentencing underscores the enforcement of U.S. export laws and the consequences for those who attempt to bypass them.
Terence G. Reilly, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, noted that Zharnovnikov violated international trade laws by providing Russia with U.S. firearms, including semiautomatic rifles, and ammunition valued at over $1 million. Reilly stated that the case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to enforcing export regulations and preventing their exploitation by foreign actors.
Court filings indicate that Zharnovnikov conducted his illegal arms trade through a Bishkek-based company, referred to as Kyrgyzstan Company-1. Beginning in March 2020, he arranged the export of firearms and ammunition controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce from the United States to Russia. One transaction included a five-year, $900,000 agreement with a U.S. company (U.S. Company-1) to purchase firearms for Kyrgyzstan, which were then rerouted to Russia without the required licenses, in violation of the Department of Commerce’s export restrictions.
The government’s prosecution team was led by Assistant United States Attorney Ellen H. Sise, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the National Security Division. The case involved a violation of U.S. national security and export control laws, as Zharnovnikov and his associates reexported firearms and ammunition to Russia without authorization, in contravention of U.S. law and international regulations regarding the country’s actions in Ukraine.
