US veteran gets 5 years in Russian prison after authorities reportedly force him to dock with firearm onboard
Fox News
Charles Wayne Zimmerman was sentenced to five years in Russian prison after reportedly pleading guilty to weapons charges. The Navy veteran allegedly failed to declare firearms.
Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.
According to local authorities, Zimmerman docked his yacht in the Russian port city of Sochi on June 19, 2025, after departing from North Carolina in July 2024 and sailing through several European countries. During border control in Sochi, Zimmerman allegedly failed to declare a firearm onboard. Authorities said an inspection later uncovered the weapons and ammunition, which they claimed had been purchased by Zimmerman prior to entering Russia.
At the subsequent court hearing, "the defendant pleaded guilty in full," the court system in Krasnodar Krai said. Records show Zimmerman was convicted in October and that the Sochi court’s verdict was upheld two months later by the Krasnodar Regional Court, the AP reported.
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