LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Federal officers arrested a global arms vendor accused of exporting firearms to Russia at a Las Vegas gun present, the U.S. Division of Justice mentioned in a information launch.
A federal grand jury in New York Metropolis indicted Sergei Zharnovnikov, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, on expenses of conspiring to export firearms from the USA to Russia with out the required licenses and with unlawful smuggling.
Zharnovnikov traveled from Kyrgyzstan to Las Vegas in January 2025 to attend the Capturing, Looking, and Out of doors Commerce (SHOT) Present to satisfy with U.S. arms sellers, the discharge mentioned. He was arrested on Jan. 24.
“As alleged, the defendant operated a sophisticated scheme to circumvent export controls and to export semi-automatic firearms and send them to Russia,” United States Legal professional John J. Durham mentioned. “Today’s indictment sends a message to the world that we will vigorously enforce statutes that control and restrict the export of items that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States, in this case, preventing U.S.-made firearms from getting into the wrong hands.”
The indictment alleges Zharnovnikov, together with others not named, conspired to export firearms from the USA to Russia courting again to March 2020. It mentioned Zharnovnikov would export the firearms from the USA to Kyrgyzstan after which from Kyrgyzstan to Russia.
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Based on the discharge, Zharnovnikov obtained a license to export over $800,000 price of firearms and components to a Kyrgyzstan-based firm from a Virginia-based firm. That license prohibited the export or re-export of firearms to Russia.
Utilizing one other Kyrgyzstan-based firm, Zharnovnikov entered a contract with a Russia-based firm and agreed to export “goods” to Russia for $10 million and would ship the “goods” in batches, the discharge mentioned.
The illegally exported firearms included semi‑computerized hybrid rifle-pistol, the discharge acknowledged.
If Zharnovnikov is convicted, he faces as much as 30 years in jail. Zharnovnikov was detained pending trial and might be arraigned within the Jap District of New York at a later date.
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