US veteran gets 5 years in Russian prison after authorities reportedly force him to dock with firearm onboard

Fox News - WorldCenter-RightEN 3 min read 100% complete by Bonny ChuJanuary 20, 2026 at 12:06 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

U.S. Navy veteran Charles Wayne Zimmerman, 58, has been sentenced to five years in a Russian prison for weapons smuggling. Zimmerman was sailing from North Carolina towards New Zealand when Russian authorities reportedly forced him to dock in Sochi on June 19, 2025. Upon docking, authorities discovered a firearm onboard that Zimmerman allegedly failed to declare. Despite Zimmerman's guilty plea, his sister claims he was wrongfully detained, alleging Russian forces compelled him to Sochi from international waters and that he disclosed the weapon voluntarily. She believes his arrest is a strategic move by Russia to leverage him in a potential prisoner exchange with the U.S.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

New Zealand 30% North Carolina 30% Russian Navy 40% Robin Stultz ×350% Krasnodar Krai ×260% Sochi ×470% United States ×370% Russia ×680% Charles Wayne Zimmerman ×790%

Keywords

wrongful detention 80% arms smuggling 70% russian prison 70% firearm onboard 60% u.s. navy veteran 60% international waters 60% potential exchange 50% forced to dock 50% sochi 40%