Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export American Made Ammunition Used in War Against Ukraine

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Italian national Manfred Gruber pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control violations. Gruber illegally exported ammunition worth over $540,000 from the United States to Kyrgyzstan, via companies that the defendant and his co-conspirator controlled in Italy. After reaching Kyrgyzstan, most of this ammunition was subsequently reexported to Russia. Today's proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. In January 2026, Sergei Zharnovnikov, a Kyrgyzstan-based co-conspirator of the defendant, was sentenced to 39 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to violating the Export Control Reform Act.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's National Security Division; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and David Peters, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), announced the charges.

"The defendant used multiple companies to hide his scheme to send military-grade ammunition to Kyrgyzstan, before it was reexported to Russia to support its war effort," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "I commend our partners at the FBI and the Department of Commerce for uncovering this deadly scheme and swiftly bringing the defendant to justice."

"Gruber's crimes helped sustain a bloody war that has claimed countless lives," stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. "NSD is committed to holding accountable those illegally funneling weapons and ammunition to Russia's war machine."

"Manfred Gruber facilitated an international network to unlawfully supply American-made ammunition to Russia during its war against Ukraine. Gruber exploited licensing caveats and ignored export restrictions to support an adversarial nation's military campaign. The FBI continues to hold accountable any individual who utilizes U.S. companies or armaments to further a foreign country's wartime agenda," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

"Today's guilty plea demonstrates our commitment, in concert with our partners, to aggressively enforce America's export control laws," stated DOC Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Peters.

As set forth in court filings, Gruber is Director of Sales for Italian Company-1, a large wholesale distributor of firearms and ammunition. Gruber served as a key member of an international ammunition procurement network for Russia during its war against Ukraine, purchasing ammunition from the United States and reexporting it to Kyrgyzstan in violation of DOC licenses issued to Italian Company-1, which required that the ammunition stay in Italy. Gruber did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or reexport ammunition to Kyrgyzstan.

For example, U.S. Company-1, headquartered in Nebraska, had a license to lawfully export ammunition to Italian Company-1, but the ammunition could not be reexported out of Italy. In violation of the license, Gruber, using a cutout company, Italian Company-2, reexported U.S. Company-1 ammunition to Zharnovnikov, an arms dealer from Kyrgyzstan who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate export controls by sending U.S.-made firearms and ammunition to Russia. A contract found on Zharnovnikov's phone indicated that he had contracted with a Russian company for ammunition manufactured by U.S. Company-1.

In addition, U.S. Company-2, headquartered in Tennessee, had a license to lawfully export ammunition to Italian Company-1, but the ammunition could not be reexported out of Italy. Gruber exported the ammunition from U.S. Company-2 to Italy, and then reexported the U.S. Company-2 ammunition from Italy to Kyrgyzstan.

Gruber was aware that U.S. law prohibited the reexport of U.S. ammunition without further licenses, which he did not obtain. To help the unlawful export scheme succeed, the defendant took steps to disguise the true destination of the ammunition. In encrypted messages on or about September 23, 2023, Gruber exchanged the following messages with a co-conspirator:

Co-Conspirator: Approximately 100,000 [U.S. Company-1 bullets]

What delivery time do we have?

***

Gruber: they give me an answer in a few days... you have to give them everything at once? I ask because of the possible destination.... They caught the Slovenian [U.S. Company-1] distributor who had triangulated with Russia... FBI International

Co-Conspirator: No, this request is from an Armenian customer.

We can even split up the shipment

Gruber: I'd say that would be better, so it goes unnoticed.

The government's case is being handled by the Office's National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise, Tara B. McGrath, and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analysts Rebecca Roth and Matthew Jennings.

The Defendant:

MANFRED GRUBER
Age: 61
Ora, Italy

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-61 (HG)