Man convicted for illegal weapons conspiracy sentenced to jail

On Dec. 4, a New York associate of an international arms dealer who was convicted on conspiracy and wire fraud charges was sentenced to prison. While the sentencing guidelines initially called for a prison sentence of seven to nine years, the U.S. district judge sentenced the man to five years as a result of medical problems.

The man, who was a veteran of the U.S. Army, was taken into custody in January 2013 in Australia after he was accused of attempting to illegally purchase two airplanes for the purpose of transporting weapons into war zones. He was extradited to the United States prior to his trial.

He claimed to have been attempting to work with an international arms dealer who was convicted of selling weapons to Colombia in 2011. The man stated that, while they had been in talks to do business together in 2010, the deal did not come pass. As such, it was noted that the two cases were not connected. In addition to the five years in prison, the man was also required to pay $70,000 in restitution and forfeit approximately $1.7 million.

A person may be accused of felony conspiracy, if they, along with at least one other person, plan a criminal act and take the necessary actions needed to complete the act. Depending upon the difference circumstances of the case, an attorney may put together a strong defense strategy for their client that could potentially result in an acquittal. If the person is convicted, the attorney may use the person’s personal circumstances, such as medical history or illnesses, to reduce the severity of the penalties or to seek an alternate sentence.

Source: FindLaw.com, ‘Conspiracy”

Source: ABC News, “Arms Dealer Associate in NY Gets 5 Years in Prison“, Larry Neumeister, December 04, 2014