According to U.S. law enforcement data, Zharnovnikov arrived in the U.S. from Kyrgyzstan in January 2025 and was arrested on January 24 at the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas, where he intended to meet with local arms dealers. On February 5, an indictment against him was announced in federal court in Brooklyn.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan reported that since Zharnovnikov's arrest, Kyrgyz consular institutions have established contact with him and provided necessary assistance. The Ministry noted that there was ongoing interaction with the citizen and consultations were provided to ensure the protection of his rights in accordance with international law.
Charges and case details:
According to the indictment, starting in March 2020, Zharnovnikov and his accomplices participated in organizing a scheme to export firearms controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) from the U.S. to Russia.
Zharnovnikov, being the CEO and owner of an arms company in Bishkek ("Kyrgyz Company-1"), signed a five-year contract worth $900,000 with a company from Chesapeake, Virginia ("American Company-1") to purchase and export its products to Kyrgyzstan. Despite obtaining a license for the export of firearms from the U.S. to Kyrgyzstan, it included a prohibition on subsequent re-export to Russia. Nevertheless, it is alleged that Zharnovnikov smuggled weapons through Kyrgyzstan to Russia, including semi-automatic hybrid rifle-pistols.
In 2021, another Kyrgyz arms company associated with Zharnovnikov ("Kyrgyz Company-2") entered into a contract with a Russian arms dealer ("Russian Company-1") from Moscow for supplies worth $10 million. In 2018 documents, the Russian company referred to "Kyrgyz Company-1" as its "partner."
On February 3, 2021, the DOC issued a license for the export of firearms worth $800,000 for supplies to Kyrgyzstan, clearly stating that re-export or transfer to third countries was prohibited.
On July 2, 2022, Zharnovnikov sent an email to his banker requesting payment on an invoice from "American Company-1," which listed 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 transferred $65,564 to "American Company-1" — the full amount of the invoice.
On July 7, 2022, a shipment of semi-automatic weapons worth $59,000 was registered in the U.S. electronic export control system (EEI) through John F. Kennedy Airport to Kyrgyzstan.
Later, on August 8, 2022, Zharnovnikov received a spreadsheet titled "Supply [American Company-1] ([Russian Company-1])", which listed the same serial numbers of the weapons as in the documents of "American Company-1."
On November 14, 2022, the CEO of "Russian Company-1" signed a tax form for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), indicating that the seller was "Kyrgyz Company-2," and the buyer was a Russian company from Moscow. The document confirmed that the supplied weapons were the same semi-automatic rifle-pistols that had previously been exported from the U.S. At the same time, Zharnovnikov did not request or obtain a license for the re-export of weapons to Russia.
According to the Ministry of Justice of Kyrgyzstan, Sergey Zharnovnikov manages three companies in the country: LLC THE GREAT HUNT (wholesale non-specialized trade), LLC "Azhy Mamat Company" (retail trade in specialized stores of other new goods), and LLC "Remoboronservice" (repair and maintenance of weapons and weapon systems).
