Two Indicted for Alleged Conspiracy to Sell Weapons Supposedly Owned by Family of Saddam Hussein

NEWARK, N.J. B A federal grand jury in Newark returned an indictment today charging two men with conspiring to sell seven firearms in New Jersey believed to have been stolen and smuggled out of Iraq after once belonging to the family of Saddam Hussein, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

David Phillip Ryan, 50, of Miami, Florida, and Carlos Quirola-Ordonez, a/k/a "Julio Antonio Gonzalez," a/k/a "Manny," 57, of New Milford, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiring to transport stolen firearms. Ryan is also charged with one count of transporting stolen property in interstate commerce.

According to the indictment and other documents filed in Newark federal court:

In April 2012, law enforcement received information that valuable firearms allegedly belonging to members of the family of the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein were available for sale. The weapons were kept in Florida while attempts were made by Ryan, Quirola-Ordonez and others to find buyers in New Jersey. During the course of the conspiracy, seven firearms – which were appraised as a collection to be worth between $250,000 to $350,000 – were shipped to New Jersey for viewing by potential buyers.

Federal law enforcement officers seized the following firearms in the course of the investigation:

    One Coonan Arms Inc., .357 semi-automatic pistol, nickel finish, made in St. Paul, Minn., with gold inlay and a medallion "QS" on left side grip (believed to be the initials of Qusay Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti, the second son of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein);

    One Korth, .357 magnum revolver (six shot) stamped "Made in W. Germany Waffenfabrik Koth Ratzeburg/LBG," with gold inlay, black finish, wood grips, which displays a drawing of a wild boar;

    One Korth, .357 magnum, revolver (six shot) stamped "Made in W. Germany Waffenfabrik Koth Ratzeburg/LBG," with gold inlay, black finish, wood grips, which displays a drawing of a moose;

    One Chinese State Factories type 64 pistol, .32 caliber semi-auto pistol, black finish, with Yemen flag icon on both sides of grip and Arabic writing on the slide;

    Two Cosmi, 12 gauge shotguns, break top, single barrel;

    One Llama Semiautomatic .45 ACP pistol with gold leaf and gold inlays, hand engraved, bearing the initials "QS"

The conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The unlawful transportation of stolen property in interstate commerce count with which Ryan is also charged carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Four men, including Ryan and Quirola-Ordonez, were originally charged by complaint with related offenses. The two other individuals, Howard Blumenthal and Karlo Sauer, have pleaded guilty to their roles in this conspiracy and await sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of George P. Belsky; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Glen Burnie Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of Guns and Improvised Explosive Devices

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles sentenced Todd Wheeler, age 28, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, today to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a prohibited person, specifically an unlawful user and a person addicted to drugs, in possession of firearms, including improvised explosive devices.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William P. McMullan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Kevin Davis; Fire Chief Michael E. Cox, Jr. of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.

According to Wheeler’s plea agreement, on January 1, 2014, Wheeler was treated at the hospital for injuries the he told hospital officials he sustained from an explosion when he was attempting to make fireworks. Wheeler attempted to flee the Emergency Room but was apprehended by police who were called to the scene. Police were directed to the home of Wheeler’s grandmother in Millersville, Maryland. She confirmed that Wheeler often stayed there and gave police permission to search the home and an outbuilding located on her property. Officers recovered chemicals used to manufacture high explosives, as well as other explosive materials. Investigators learned that Wheeler received packages at that address and stored the materials in the outbuilding.

The next day, ATF agents interviewed Wheeler, who remained in custody at the hospital. Wheeler advised agents that he was injured when he mixed chemicals and they exploded. He also told the agents that he had previously made explosive devices and detonated them in his yard. A search warrant was executed at Wheeler’s residence in Glen Burnie by Anne Arundel County Police. Over the next two days law enforcement recovered, among other things: several improvised explosive devices, as well as the chemicals and explosive materials used to make them; drugs and drug paraphernalia; a Walther pistol, flare gun and signal flare launcher, along with a conversion kit to allow the launcher to shoot 12 gauge shot gun shells; and 12 gauge shot gun shells.

Further investigation revealed that Wheeler had history of drug addiction dating back to at least 2006. At the time of this incident Wheeler was on probation for driving under the influence of a controlled substance and in a drug test conducted by his state probation officer shortly before the incident Wheeler tested positive for seven different controlled substances.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, FBI, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys A. David Copperthite and Harvey E. Eisenberg, who prosecuted the case.

Deltona Felon Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron sentenced Olajuwon Perry (28, Deltona) today to seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Perry pleaded guilty on June 24, 2014.

According to court documents, on December 23, 2012, in Sanford, Perry drove a Chevrolet Lumina in a reckless manner and failed to stop at a stop sign. When deputies from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop him, Perry drove the car into the front yard of a residence. Perry, the sole occupant of the vehicle, exited and ran inside the residence. Deputies recovered a loaded AK-47 firearm from the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Perry claimed that he had not been driving the vehicle; however, authorities found his fingerprints in the car.

Perry had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses prior to this incident, including convictions for robbery and battery upon a person 65 years or older. As such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Trevor Velinor, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.