Air Force trainee convicted after ghost gun 3D printing lab found in home
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A Ukrainian national who completed U.S. Air Force officer training was recently convicted of five felonies after authorities seized illegal gun parts from China and uncovered a “ghost gun” 3D printing operation at his home.
A federal jury found Yaroslav Vishnevski, 33, of Harrisburg, Illinois, guilty of receiving or possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle; producing a National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon without paying a special occupation tax; possession or possession of an unlicensed short-barreled hunting rifle; receiving or possessing an unregistered silencer; Possession of an Atlas Arms 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun with the serial number obliterated, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital, the investigation was triggered on April 22, 2024, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized a package sent from China containing two suspected firearm silencers.
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Authorities said multiple weapons were in the suspect’s illegal possession. (US Attorney’s Office)
The package was addressed to Vishnevski’s home in southern Illinois.
According to court records, on May 2, 2024, an undercover agent with the Illinois State Police (ISP) dropped the package on Vishnevski’s front porch and watched as Vishnevski picked it up and brought it inside.
Shortly after he left the house without the package, marked ISP units pulled him over at a traffic stop while the SWAT team executed a search warrant inside the house.
Authorities shared photos of the 3D printers found in the house. (US Attorney’s Office)
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Inside the house and a camper parked outside, federal and state law enforcement allegedly discovered a highly active, illegal gun shop.
Court documents state authorities seized three 3D printers and a “Ghost Gunner” desktop CNC machine; This machine is a tool used to mill “80%” firearm receivers, which are generally untraceable.
Investigators reported finding numerous illegal and untraceable weapons, including numerous 3D printed silencers and firearm frames; custom-made, untraceable, short-barreled rifles without serial numbers; an Atlas Arms 12-gauge short-barreled shotgun with the serial number obliterated; and a modified Glock 19X with an aftermarket stock and vertical foregrip.
Authorities shared photos of the guns seized from the home during the search warrant. (US Attorney’s Office)
Federal law requires short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and silencers to be registered with the National Firearms Registry and Transfer Register, and manufacturers must pay a special use tax.
According to court files, Vishnevsky had no such record.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft told Fox News Digital after the sentencing that there is a clear line between criminal organizations and legal gun ownership.
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“The real world is nuanced, and two things can be true at the same time: While we staunchly defend the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, we also recognize that machine guns, short-barreled rifles, silencers illegally imported from China, and untraceable ghost guns present obvious dangers,” Weinhoeft said. “The Department of Justice strikes that balance every day by aggressively enforcing criminal laws passed by Congress while vigorously defending the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners in court.”
Authorities said there was ample evidence inside the house that showed the stash was not legally possessed. (US Attorney’s Office)
Vishnevski, who is reported to be a US citizen, said: Capitol News Illinois He thought the government was spying on him before his arrest because he was born in Ukraine and lived there until he was 6, immigrating to the United States a year later.
He completed Air Force officer training and returned to St. Louis to serve as an Air Force physician after graduation. He said he enrolled at St. Louis University School of Medicine but left the program early and transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve.
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Following his arrest, Vishnevski told the press that an agent from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) questioned him about his views on Ukraine and his relations with its citizens.
The U.S. Air Force and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
