Kyrgyz Arms Dealer Sergei Zharnovnikov Pleads Guilty to Smuggling US Guns to Russia

A hard-hitting federal court case in Brooklyn has yielded another guilty plea, this time from a Kyrgyz national accused of smuggling US guns to Russia.

Sergei Zharnovnikov, 47, of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

According to the US Department of Justice, Zharnovnikov purchased and re-exported US-made, military-grade firearms worth over $1.5 million to Russia, violating US law.

The defendant, owner of an arms dealer in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, knowingly evaded export controls by shipping the firearms through his company in Kyrgyzstan, despite a license only permitting exports to Kyrgyzstan.

“The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” stated US Attorney Joseph Nocella.

US Attorney Nocella continued, “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.”

The investigation, led by the FBI and the US Department of Commerce, uncovered a scheme involving the export of semi-automatic rifles and hybrid rifle-pistols to Russia, in direct violation of US law.

Sergei Zharnovnikov will be sentenced at a later date and faces up to 20 years in prison for his role in the smuggling operation.

The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, with Assistant US Attorney Ellen H. Sise leading the prosecution.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg added, “By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia.”

Zharnovnikov’s case serves as a stark reminder of the severity of penalties for those who attempt to evade US export laws and put national security at risk.