An Italian national has pleaded guilty in a US court to illegally exporting American-made ammunition to Russia, in breach of export control regulations.
Manfred Gruber, a Sales Manager at an Italian firearms distributor, admitted to conspiracy to commit export control violations during a hearing before the Eastern District of New York on March 30. He is accused of facilitating the movement of more than $540,000 worth of ammunition to Russia via Kyrgyzstan.
According to the US Department of Justice, Gruber sourced ammunition from US suppliers under licences that required the products to remain in Italy. Prosecutors said he then used a network of companies to re-export the ammunition to Kyrgyzstan, from where it was subsequently transferred to Russia.
Court documents state that Gruber did not apply for or obtain the necessary licences to export or re-export the ammunition to Kyrgyzstan.
Authorities also outlined the involvement of a co-conspirator, Sergei Zharnovnikov, a Kyrgyzstan-based arms dealer, who was sentenced to 39 months in prison in January after pleading guilty to related offences under the Export Control Reform Act.
US officials linked the case to broader enforcement efforts surrounding the supply of military-related equipment to Russia. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said: “Gruber’s crimes helped sustain a bloody war that has claimed countless lives.”
Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, added: “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the grave consequences of violating US export controls and the FBI’s commitment to prosecuting those who illegally fuel the war efforts of our foreign adversaries.”
Prosecutors said Gruber used front companies to conceal shipments and relied on existing export licences held by US suppliers, despite restrictions preventing re-export outside Italy. Evidence presented in court included encrypted communications discussing the supply of large quantities of ammunition.