ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Two Alexandria residents were arrested today on charges of international trafficking in firearms, smuggling and other charges.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, Tengiz Sydykov, 28, and Eldar Rezvanov, 27, each citizens of Kyrgyzstan residing in Alexandria, purchased over 100 disassembled firearms and attempted to ship them to Chechnya without a license. The men attempted to smuggle the firearms to Chechnya by using false shipping inventories and disguising the disassembled firearms as kitchen utensils.
Sydykov and Rezvanov have been charged with violating the Arms Export Control Act, Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud and Money Laundering. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, if convicted. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. and Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-mj-91, 92.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
