According to data provided by U.S. law enforcement agencies, Zharnovnikov, who arrived from Kyrgyzstan in January 2025, was arrested on January 24 in Las Vegas. He was detained during the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, where he was set to meet with local firearms dealers. The indictment against him was announced on February 5 in federal court in Brooklyn.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan reported that since Zharnovnikov's arrest, the country's diplomatic missions have been in contact with him and providing consular assistance. "We have been in constant communication with the citizen and have provided legal consultations to protect his rights in accordance with international norms and U.S. legislation," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
The essence of the charges:
According to the prosecution, starting from March 2020, Zharnovnikov, along with accomplices, participated in an operation to export weapons from the U.S. to Russia, despite a ban from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) on re-export.
Zharnovnikov is the owner and CEO of a firearms company in Bishkek ("Kyrgyz Company-1"). He signed a five-year contract worth $900,000 with "American Company-1," located in Chesapeake, to purchase and export firearms to Kyrgyzstan. Although the DOC issued an export license, it explicitly prohibited re-export to Russia. Nevertheless, according to the indictment, Zharnovnikov transferred part of the firearms from the U.S. through Kyrgyzstan to Russia, including semi-automatic hybrid rifle-pistols.
In 2021, "Kyrgyz Company-2," also linked to Zharnovnikov, entered into a contract with a Moscow firearms dealer ("Russian Company-1"), which planned to supply goods worth $10 million. In business correspondence from 2018, the Russian company referred to "Kyrgyz Company-1" as its partner.
On February 3, 2021, the DOC issued an export license for $800,000 for shipments of firearms to Kyrgyzstan, with a clear indication of the prohibition on re-export.
On July 2, 2022, Zharnovnikov sent an email to his banker requesting payment on an invoice from "American Company-1," which mentioned 25 semi-automatic rifle-pistols with unique serial numbers.
On July 4, 2022, "Kyrgyz Company-2" transferred $67,000 to the account of "Kyrgyz Company-1," and on July 5, the latter paid "American Company-1" $65,564—the full amount of the invoice.
On July 7, 2022, the shipment of semi-automatic weapons was recorded in the U.S. electronic export control system (EEI) through John F. Kennedy Airport to Kyrgyzstan for a total of $59,000.
On August 8, 2022, Zharnovnikov received a table titled "Delivery [American Company-1] ([Russian Company-1])", which listed the same serial numbers as in the documents from "American Company-1."
On November 14, 2022, the CEO of "Russian Company-1" signed a tax form for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), stating that "Kyrgyz Company-2" was the seller, and the buyer was a Russian company in Moscow. The document confirmed that the supplied weapons matched those previously exported from the U.S. At the same time, Zharnovnikov did not request or receive licenses for the re-export of weapons to Russia.
According to the Ministry of Justice of Kyrgyzstan, Sergey Zharnovnikov is the head of three companies in the country: OsOO THE GREAT HUNT (wholesale trade), OsOO "Azhy Mamat Company" (retail trade of specialized goods), and OsOO "Remoboronservice" (repair and maintenance of weapons and armament systems).
