Dealer accused of illegally exporting U.S. firearms to Russia arrested in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Federal officials arrested an international arms dealer accused of exporting firearms to Russia at a Las Vegas gun show, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
A federal grand jury in New York City indicted Sergei Zharnovnikov, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, on charges of conspiring to export firearms from the United States to Russia without the necessary licenses and with illegal smuggling.
Zharnovnikov traveled from Kyrgyzstan to Las Vegas in January 2025 to attend the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers, the release said. 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 Attorney John J. Durham said. '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, along with others not named, conspired to export firearms from the United States to Russia dating back to March 2020. It said Zharnovnikov would export the firearms from the United States to Kyrgyzstan and then from Kyrgyzstan to Russia.
According to the release, Zharnovnikov received a license to export over $800,000 worth of firearms and parts to a Kyrgyzstan-based company from a Virginia-based company. That license prohibited the export or re-export of firearms to Russia.
Using another Kyrgyzstan-based company, Zharnovnikov entered a contract with a Russia-based company and agreed to export 'goods' to Russia for $10 million and would deliver the 'goods' in batches, the release said.
The illegally exported firearms included semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistol, the release stated.
If Zharnovnikov is convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison. Zharnovnikov was detained pending trial and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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