CHICAGO (CBS) — A Palos Hills man has pleaded guilty to charges of illegally shipping firearm parts to Israel in 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced Wednesday.
Amin Betuni pleaded guilty on Thursday, August 1, to federal charges of knowingly and fraudulently exporting parts in violation of U.S. law and regulations.
According to the office, Betuni admitted in a plea agreement that he shipped firearm parts to individuals in Israel at least three times in 2022, including gun barrels, gun gas blocks and bolt carriers.
Betuni forged shipping labels and hid the firearm parts in packages with auto parts or George Foreman grills.
The parts were on the United States Commerce Control List and were subject to federal export regulations requiring a license or written approval from the Department of Commerce, neither of which had been obtained by Betuni prior to the shipments.
During a court-authorized search of Betuni’s residence in December 2022, authorities found more than 1,200 rounds of ammunition, a shotgun, rifle and handgun, additional bolt carriers and three firearm conversion devices, also known as “Glock switches,” which allow firearms to fire multiple rounds of ammunition with a single pull of the trigger.
Betuni faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
His sentence has been set for November 6.
