Arms-export probe arrests link Pa., Russia

WASHINGTON - A Wilkes-Barre area firearms shop owner and a Russian broker of military gear have been arrested as part of an illegal arms-export investigation, officials said yesterday.

The Russian, Sergey Korznikov, and the American, Mark Komoroski of D&R Sports in Nanticoke, Luzerne County, are charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods overseas. The charges have not been publicly announced, but were confirmed by officials familiar with the case.

They have been under investigation by agents of the U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; the Pennsylvania State Police and the Commerce Department for nearly two years.

Federal agents raided D&R Sports in late 2006, and a related affidavit cites billing documents that authorities say showed the two men smuggled $247,000 worth of restricted gear to Russia, Kuwait and Japan without obtaining the proper licenses.

In August, sources said, federal agents seized a shipment from D&R to Korznikov's Russian company, Tactia. The manifest said the shipment was filled with clothes, but actually included restricted rifle scopes and weapon magazines. A person familiar with the case said that D&R failed to obtain the appropriate federal export licenses for those items.

Komoroski, an American citizen, was arrested Monday at his store, and Korznikov, a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow, was arrested while vacationing with his family at a posh Poconos resort, the Great Wolf Lodge. Federal agents also executed search warrants at the gun shop and the hotel.

Although both men appeared before a federal magistrate in open court in Scranton for bail proceedings on Monday, all filings in the case appear to be sealed.

U.S. Attorney Martin Carlson of the Middle District of Pennsylvania declined to comment or release any documents related to the case, including the arrest warrants.

Komoroski, 45, was released on $50,000 bail. His lawyer did not return a call for comment yesterday. Reached at his store yesterday, Komoroski promised to return a reporter's call, but did not.

Komoroski told the Citizens Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre: "They questioned me, and when they told me the charges, I said, 'You're arresting me for something that didn't happen.' They said everything would be straightened out. I cooperated fully with them for about an hour."

The magistrate set Korznikov's bail at $150,000. His jail status and age could not be confirmed. The name of his lawyer could not be learned yesterday.

According to the 2006 affidavit, authorities allege that other wire transfers to D&R came from Rockman EOOD, a company on a U.S. government watch list.

Rockman owner Sergey Bout is the brother of Russian arms dealer Victor Bout, who is also on the list and has provided weapons to former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor and the Taliban, according to the affidavit.