A judge in the southern Krasnodar region has sentenced an American man to five years in prison for the illegal transportation of firearms after a rifle and ammunition were discovered on his yacht when it docked in Sochi last year.

According to a statement from Sochi’s Central District Court released on Monday, “A U.S. citizen was convicted of illegally moving firearms,” identifying him as Charles Wayne Zimmerman.

The court noted that Zimmerman, who had sailed from the Atlantic Ocean through the Mediterranean before reaching Russia in June 2025, admitted to the charges and received a five-year prison sentence.

It remains unclear when the sentencing took place. Prior to Monday’s announcement, Zimmerman’s arrest and trial had not been covered by Russian media.

Court officials mentioned that Zimmerman had decided to travel to Sochi after connecting with a Russian woman online. He reportedly was unaware that having weapons aboard his yacht was against the law while in Russia.

A video released by Sochi’s Central District Court captured the moment of Zimmerman’s arrest last year, featuring a black hunting rifle in a case along with two boxes of Remington ammunition, some of which appeared to be rusty.

In September 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a missing person alert for Charles Zimmerman, 57, who had embarked on a sailing journey from Fort Macon, North Carolina, to New Zealand.

“Zimmerman was last in touch on July 23, informing a family member of his departure in his sailboat headed towards the Mediterranean Sea,” the Coast Guard shared on Facebook that year.

He was sailing a 10-meter (35-foot) green and white vessel named the Trude Zena, they added.

Reporting by AFP contributed to this story.