Two men have been indicted for allegedly trying to sell firearms believed to have been owned by the family of late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the U.S. attorney's office said Friday.
David Phillip Ryan and Carlos Quirola-Ordonez were initially charged in 2012 along with two other men.
Ryan, 50, of Miami, Florida, and the 57-year-old Quirola-Ordonez, who lives in New Milford, New Jersey, each face one count of conspiring to transport stolen firearms. Ryan faces one count of transporting stolen property in interstate commerce.
Howard Blumenthal of Fort Lee, New Jersey, and Karlo Christian Sauer of Pittsburgh, the other two alleged conspirators, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Federal authorities say Ryan acquired the guns after they were smuggled out of Iraq and recruited Sauer to find buyers. Authorities believe Sauer recruited Blumenthal, who recruited Quirola-Ordonez.
The guns were stored in Florida and shipped to New Jersey by Ryan to be viewed by potential buyers, according to the indictment. Seven guns with an estimated value of $250,000 to $350,000 were seized. Among the firearms were a .357 semi-automatic pistol featuring a gold medallion "QS," presumed to indicate Saddam Hussein's son, Qusay. Other guns included two .357 Magnum revolvers, a .32-caliber semi-automatic pistol, two 12-gauge shotguns and a semi-automatic .45-caliber pistol with gold leaf and gold inlays and bearing the initials "QS."
Attorneys for Ryan and Quirola-Ordonez didn't respond to messages seeking comment Friday.
The conspiracy count which both defendants face carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. The additional count against Ryan carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
