Overview
- Sochi’s Central District Court identified the defendant as Charles Wayne Zimmerman and said he pleaded guilty to illegally transporting firearms, resulting in a five-year prison term.
- Authorities said a rifle and ammunition were discovered on his 35-foot yacht, the Trude Zena, when it docked in Sochi in June 2025, and the court released video and photos of the vessel and the alleged weapons.
- Court statements noted that an appeal was rejected, and records reviewed by reporters indicate the conviction was issued in October with the verdict affirmed in December.
- The court said Zimmerman had sailed across the Atlantic and Mediterranean after meeting a Russian woman online, told investigators he did not know storing a weapon while docked in Russia was illegal, and described the firearm as for self-defense.
- The U.S. Coast Guard had listed Zimmerman as missing in September 2024 after he departed Fort Macon, North Carolina, while his family now disputes the charges, alleges a setup for a future swap, and says he has lacked U.S. consular access.