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Weld County man sentenced for smuggling gun parts outside of US

Michael John Suppes, 47, was sentenced to serve 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

DENVER — A Weld County man who pleaded guilty in June to smuggling gun parts to buyers in other countries and possessing unregistered firearms was sentenced Monday, according to U.S. Attorney Jason R. Dunn.

Michael John Suppes, 47, was sentenced to serve 46 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, a news release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) says. 

Suppes also agreed to forfeit 123 firearms, firearm parts, ammunition and nearly $300,000 in assets, the DOJ said. 

Suppes' plea agreement says he did not have an export license and he possessed unregistered short-barreled rifles that were not registered under the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Suppes shipped over 1,200 domestic and international packages through his business, MJS Performance LLC., between Jan. 25, 2015 and Nov. 5, 2018, selling firearm parts and motorcycle muffler parts. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said they spotted Suppes' illegal activities after learning that packages containing concealed gun parts were being shipped to other countries, including Saudi Arabia, India and Cambodia. 

RELATED: Windsor man accused of hiding gun parts in RC cars that were bound for locations around the world

RELATED: Weld county man pleads guilty to smuggling gun parts out of the country

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