Palos Hills man pleads guilty to shipping firearm parts to Israel

CHICAGO (CBS) — A Palos Hills man pleaded guilty to charges of illegally shipping firearm parts to Israel in 2022, The U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, announced on Wednesday.

Amin Betuni pleaded guilty on Thursday, Aug. 1, to a federal charge of knowingly and fraudulently exporting the parts in violation of U.S. laws and regulations.

The office said that Betuni admitted in a plea agreement that he shipped the firearm parts to individuals in Israel on at least three occasions in 2022, including rifle barrels, gas blocks for rifles, and bolt carrier groups.

Betuni falsified shipping labels and concealed the firearm parts in packages containing auto parts or George Foreman grills.

The parts were on the United States Commerce Control List and subject to federal export regulations, which required a license or written approval from the Department of Commerce. Neither was 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 assorted ammunition, a shotgun, rifle, and handgun, additional bolt carrier groups, and three firearm conversion devices, also known as "Glock switches," which equip firearms to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

Betuni faces up to a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

His sentencing is set for Nov. 6.