NC man sentenced for smuggling shotguns from the US to Egypt

NORFOLK, Va. — A Greensboro, N.C., man was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to smuggle shotguns from the United States and to make a false and fictitious statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm from a licensed dealer.

The sentencing follows an investigation by the multi-agency Border Enforcement Security Task Force which is led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI);the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Greensboro Police Department.

Muhaned Abbas Mohamed, 26, pled guilty Feb. 25.

CBP inspectors in Norfolk received a tip Sept. 21, 2011, from the Greensboro Police Department indicating that a shipping container sent from a business in Greensboro to the port of Norfolk and destined for Port Said, Egypt, contained hidden contraband. CBP inspectors in Norfolk located the container sent from an auto parts business in Greensboro.

The bill of lading indicated that inside the container were auto parts consisting of four chopped cars and three motorcycles. Upon further inspection, six Mossberg 12 gauge pistol grip pump action shotguns were found concealed in the rear seat of one of the cars. Further investigation revealed that Mohamed had concealed the shotguns, failed to disclose the bill of lading, failed to obtain the required license from the Department of Commerce needed to export to export the shotguns, and had made a straw purchase of the six shotguns on Aug. 18, 2011, at a federal firearms licensee in Greensboro for a business partner in Egypt.