Ukrainian National Convicted for Illegal 3D-Printed Ghost Gun Operation

A federal jury convicted Yaroslav Vishnevski, a 33-year-old Harrisburg, Illinois, resident and former U.S. Air Force officer trainee, on five counts related to an illegal ghost gun 3D printing operation. The conviction follows a May 2, 2024, raid that uncovered unregistered firearms and CNC milling equipment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.

What were the specific charges against Yaroslav Vishnevski?

Vishnevski was found guilty of five federal counts. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois, these include the receipt or possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle and an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.

The jury also convicted him of possessing an unregistered silencer and an Atlas Arms 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun with an obliterated serial number. Additionally, he was convicted of manufacturing a National Firearms Act weapon without paying the required special occupancy tax.

How did the investigation into the 3D printing operation begin?

The case began on April 22, 2024. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a package arriving from China that contained two suspected firearm silencers, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.

The parcel was addressed to Vishnevski’s residence in southern Illinois. On May 2, 2024, an undercover Illinois State Police agent delivered the package to Vishnevski’s front porch. Court filings state the agent watched as Vishnevski retrieved the package and took it inside.

Police moved quickly. As soon as Vishnevski left his home without the package, Illinois State Police units stopped him in a traffic stop. Simultaneously, a SWAT team executed a search warrant at his residence.

What equipment was found in the illegal weapons workshop?

Authorities discovered an active weapons workshop inside the house and a camper parked outside. Law enforcement seized three 3D printers and a Ghost Gunner desktop CNC machine, which court documents describe as a tool used to mill untraceable 80% firearm receivers.

The seizure included a variety of untraceable and illegal weapons:

• Numerous 3D-printed firearm frames and silencers
• Privately made short-barreled rifles without serial numbers
• A Glock 19X modified with a vertical foregrip and an aftermarket stock
• An Atlas Arms 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun with a removed serial number

Federal law mandates that silencers, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Court filings indicate Vishnevski had no such registrations.

Why did Vishnevski claim he was under government surveillance?

Vishnevski told Capitol News Illinois that he suspected government surveillance prior to his arrest. He attributed this suspicion to his birth in Ukraine and the fact that he lived there until age 6 before immigrating to the U.S. a year later.

He also detailed his military and academic history to the outlet. Vishnevski completed Air Force officer training and enrolled in the St. Louis University School of Medicine to serve as an Air Force physician. He later left the program and transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve.

Following the arrest, Vishnevski alleged that a Department of Homeland Security agent questioned him regarding his associations with Ukrainian citizens and his personal views on Ukraine. The U.S. Air Force and DHS did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft addressed the distinction between legal gun ownership and criminal activity in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The real world contains nuance, and two things can be true at the same time: We staunchly defend the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, while simultaneously recognizing that machine guns, short-barreled rifles, silencers illegally imported from China, and untraceable ghost guns present obvious dangers. The Department of Justice strikes this balance each day aggressively enforcing the criminal laws passed by Congress, while vigorously defending the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners in court.

Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney