Amin Betuni, 37, accepted a plea deal in which he admitted guilt for his clandestine efforts to send weapon components to individuals in the Jewish state.
According to prosecutors, Betuni used false shipping labels to send gun parts to his conspirators in Israel three times in 2022. These included rifle barrels, gas blocks for rifles and bolt carrier groups hidden amid car parts and George Foreman grills. The weapon transfers would have required a license or approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
When law enforcement searched Betuni’s home in Palos Hills, Ill., they discovered a cache of weapons, ammunition and components to enable guns to fire multiple rounds with one trigger pull.
Betuni, a Chicago resident, faces as much as 10 years imprisonment following his Aug. 1 plea. The court has scheduled Nov. 6 as the date of his sentencing.
Sean Fitzgerald, special agent in charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, said “those who illegally export firearm parts will face consequences.” He called for the plea to “serve as a stern warning: Anyone who jeopardizes peace and safety through illicit arms transfers will be held accountable.”
Morris Pasqual, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said that “export-control violations are critically important because they undermine federal laws and regulations that seek to protect international security.”
