A Kyrgyz national and international arms dealer has been charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy and illegal smuggling of firearms from the United States to Russia. Sergei Zharnovnikov was arrested on January 24 in Las Vegas, while attending the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show.
Zharnovnikov is accused of orchestrating a complex scheme to circumvent U.S. export controls by funneling semi-automatic rifle-pistols through his Kyrgyz company to Russia. The indictment details his illegal procurement of firearms from a U.S.-based company in Chesapeake, Virginia, and subsequent exportation, in violation of U.S. export laws.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney John J. Durham, along with officials from the Justice Department’s National Security Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS-OEE).
According to the indictment, Zharnovnikov’s company, Kyrgyzstan Company-1, entered into a five-year, $900,000 contract with U.S. Company-1 for firearm purchases. The Department of Commerce (DOC) issued an export license permitting shipments to Kyrgyzstan but explicitly prohibited any re-export to Russia. Despite these restrictions, Zharnovnikov allegedly diverted shipments to Russia through an affiliated entity, Kyrgyzstan Company-2, which held a $10 million contract with a Russian arms dealer, Russian Company-1.
The indictment outlines financial transactions corroborating the smuggling scheme, including a July 2, 2022, email from Zharnovnikov to his banker authorizing a $65,564 payment for 25 semi-automatic rifle-pistols. The firearms were exported via John F. Kennedy International Airport on July 10, 2022, under false pretenses. Subsequent records indicate the weapons were re-exported to Russian Company-1, violating the DOC’s licensing restrictions.
In August 2022, Zharnovnikov received a spreadsheet from Russian Company-1 detailing the serial numbers of the exported firearms. Further, in November 2022, tax documents from the Eurasian Economic Union confirmed the firearms’ transfer from Kyrgyzstan Company-2 to Russian Company-1, solidifying the allegations of unlawful exportation.
Zharnovnikov faces multiple charges, including:
• Count One: Violating U.S. Export Laws – Unlawful export of controlled firearms without a required license from the Department of Commerce.
• Count Two: Smuggling Goods from the United States – Illegally exporting Commerce Control List items and knowingly concealing the nature of the transactions.
Upon conviction, Zharnovnikov is subject to criminal forfeiture, requiring him to surrender any property used or obtained in connection with the offenses. If the property cannot be located, the government intends to seize equivalent assets under U.S. forfeiture laws.
U.S. Attorney Durham emphasized the severity of the case: “As alleged, the defendant’s actions posed a significant threat to U.S. national security by facilitating the illegal flow of American-made firearms to Russia. Today’s indictment reinforces our commitment to enforcing export control laws and protecting our national interests.”
This case falls under the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, established in March 2022 to enforce sanctions and export restrictions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The task force, dedicated to dismantling illegal financial networks that enable Russia’s war efforts, has since been disbanded by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Zharnovnikov is currently detained pending trial in the Eastern District of New York. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison. The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Sise and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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