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A Ukrainian man who completed US Air Force officer training was recently convicted of five counts after authorities seized illegal gun parts from China and found a “ghost gun” 3D printing job at his home.
A jury found Yaroslav Vishnevski, 33, of Harrisburg, Illinois, guilty of receiving or possessing an unregistered firearm with a muzzle; to produce a National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon without paying special residence tax; obtaining or possessing an unregistered short-barreled firearm; acquiring or possessing an unregistered silencer; and possession of an Atlas Arms 12-gauge short-barreled handgun with an obliterated serial number, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
The investigation began on April 22, 2024, when US Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a package sent from China that contained two suspected silencers, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Officials said the suspect was in illegal possession of several firearms. (US Attorney’s Office)
The package was addressed to Vishnevski’s home in southern Illinois.
On May 2, 2024, an undercover agent with the Illinois State Police (ISP) dropped off a package on Vishnevski’s porch and watched as Vishnevski retrieved the package and brought it inside, according to court filings.
Shortly after leaving the home without the package, marked ISP units pulled him over while the SWAT team executed a search warrant inside the home.
Authorities shared photos of 3D printers found inside the home. (US Attorney’s Office)
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Inside the house and the camper parked outside, state and county law enforcement allegedly found an illegal weapons workshop.
Court documents note that authorities seized three 3D printers and a desktop CNC machine for the “Ghost Gunner” — a tool commonly used to grind “80%” untraceable gun receivers.
Investigators reported finding dozens of illegal and untraceable weapons, including dozens of 3D-printed silencers and gun frames; privately made, untraceable short-barreled rifles with no numbers; an Atlas Arms 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun with an obliterated serial number; and a modified Glock 19X with an aftermarket stock and vertical foregrip.
Authorities have shared photos of firearms seized from inside the home during the search. (US Attorney’s Office)
State law requires short-barreled guns, shotguns and silencers to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Registry, and manufacturers must pay a special residency tax.
Vishnevski had no such registration, according to court filings.
After his conviction, US Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft told Fox News Digital that there is a clear line between criminal enterprises and legal gun ownership.
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“The real world is full of subtleties, and two things can be true at the same time: We vigorously defend the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, while at the same time recognizing that machine guns, submachine guns, silencers imported illegally from China, and untraceable ghost guns pose obvious dangers,” Weinhoeft said. “The Department of Justice strikes this balance every day enforcing the criminal laws enacted by Congress, while vigorously defending the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners in court.”
Officials say a large amount of evidence was found inside the house, indicating that the fisherman was not legally present. (US Attorney’s Office)
Vishnevski, who is reportedly a US citizen, told Capitol News Illinois that he thought the government had surveillance on him before his arrest because he was born in Ukraine and lived there until he was 6 years old, before moving to the US a year later.
He told the outlet that he completed Air Force officer training and enlisted in St. Louis University School of Medicine under orders to serve as an Air Force physician after graduation, but left the program early and was transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve.
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After his arrest, Vishnevski told the media that a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agent had questioned him about his views on Ukraine and any of its organizations and citizens.
The US Air Force and DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
