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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Nanticoke arms dealer previously imprisoned for conspiring to export military equipment to Russia contested Friday a new set of federal charges alleging he again tried to send two riflescopes to an individual in Russia last year.</p><p>Mark Komoroski, former manager of D&amp;R Sports Center on 620 Fairchild St., pleaded not guilty to violating federal export laws and unlawfully possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon at a hearing Thursday. He was released pending his next court appearance.</p><p>Komoroski, 54, tried to export two riflescopes to an individual in Russia in February and March 2016 without obtaining licenses required by federal law, the charges say. He was also allegedly in possession of more than 25,000 rounds of ammunition.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/545988/feds-raid-dr-sports-center-in-nanticoke" target="_blank">sporting goods store was raided weeks later</a> by federal customs agents and state law enforcement personnel, many of whom carried out bags of ammunition and boxes marked &#8220;evidence.&#8221;</p><p>Komoroski challenged the latest charges Friday, saying D&amp;R was authorized to store and sell ammunition following his release from federal prison in 2012 on similar charges. He said he was also permitted to sell riflescopes on eBay and other online sites, and noted the hundreds sold since his release shipped only within the U.S.</p><p>&#8220;How they got (to Russia), I don&#8217;t have any idea,&#8221; he said.</p><p>His attorney, Al Flora Jr., did not immediately return a message seeking comment.</p><p>The latest charges aren&#8217;t the first of their kind leveled against Komoroski.</p><p>In 2010, he was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for conspiring to illegally smuggle military equipment to Russia, including firearm magazines and rifle scopes. He was released in December 2012.</p><p>The latest charges carry a maximum of 30 years in prison.</p><p>Komoroski formerly managed the Nanticoke location while his brother, Theodore Komoroski, oversaw a second location in Bloomsburg that has since closed. Records show ownership of the Nanticoke storefront was transferred from Komoroski&#8217;s father, Donald Komoroski, to Komoroski Realty in 2005.</p><p>Komoroski&#8217;s co-defendant, Russian national Sergey Korznikov, was sentenced to six months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Korznikov was involved with Tactica Ltd., a Moscow-based company that sells rifle optics, binoculars, boots, backpacks and other hunting and paramilitary equipment.</p><p>A search warrant affidavit filed in 2006 said authorities believed Komoroski had illegally exported hundreds of thousands of dollars of military equipment over a several-year period.</p><p>According to court records, officials discovered a $68,428 purchase order for thermal-imaging devices from a Moscow, Russia-based company that listed Korznikov as its president.</p><p>Wire transfers going into the business&#8217; account were identified as coming from Rockman EOOD and Ibrahim Hajji, both deemed excluded parties by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces trade sanctions.</p><p>Rockman was owned by Sergey Bout, brother of Russian arms dealer and former KGB major Viktor Bout, who provided weapons to Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, rebel groups in Rwanda and the Taliban, according to court documents.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A Homeland Security agent removes a bag of evidence from D&amp;R Sports on in Nanticoke in May 2016. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_web1_TTL0502516Bust1-16-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>A Homeland Security agent removes a bag of evidence from D&amp;R Sports on in Nanticoke in May 2016. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader file </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Nanticoke arms dealer contests latest charges involving Russia export violations