MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. A Moscow court sentenced US citizen Robert Mao to four years in a general regime penal colony for attempting to export rifle components for Kalashnikov assault rifles and Saiga carbines to the US via Turkey, according to case materials obtained by TASS.

"[I hereby rule] to find Robert Mao guilty of committing a crime under Article 226.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (Illegal Movement of Main Parts of Firearms on Russian territory) and to impose a four-year prison sentence to be served in a general regime penal colony. The sentence against Robert Mao shall remain unchanged, and the appeals are rejected," stated the verdict of the Moscow district court and the appellate court.

Thus, the California resident's defense was unable to challenge the lower courts' decisions, and the verdict came into force.

Weapon collector

During the trial in the court of first instance, Mao partially admitted his guilt and provided the court with a detailed account of the charges against him. However, in the court of appeals, the US citizen pleaded fully guilty, handed over all items of equipment and weapon modifications to a military unit participating in the special military operation, and requested an acquittal. According to the man, he flew to Moscow in October 2024 to participate in a sports race. While in the capital, he decided to purchase weapon accessories. He legally owns Kalashnikov assault rifles in the US, and "since weapons and military equipment are his hobby, he has been studying and collecting them for a long time."

Mao also told the court that, before arriving in Moscow, he had arranged with an unknown man on a website to purchase parts for an AK rifle and a carbine. The American citizen paid for the weapon accessories via a crypto wallet.

In addition, Mao specified that he had purchased other accessories and tuning elements for weapons at the official Zenit store on Arbat Street in central Moscow. After participating in the Moscow Marathon on October 20, he took a taxi to Vnukovo Airport, where he allegedly did not hide the purchased weapon accessories, which were in his suitcase. According to the man, after checking in for his flight from Moscow to Istanbul, he checked his luggage, including the listed items, "for further transportation along his route." He then passed through customs control via the "green corridor" and found himself in the sterile zone. Mao did not declare the weapon accessories in his luggage because he was unaware that transporting them across the customs border was illegal.

According to the documents, the US citizen did not check the legality or procedure for exporting the Kalashnikov assault rifle and Saiga carbine stocks he had purchased in Moscow. He also did not have the relevant documents for them. Had he known about the criminal liability for illegally moving the items specified in the verdict, he "would not have done so." After hearing the arguments of both parties, the court found Mao guilty and sentenced him to four years in prison.