⏱ 2 min read
A 61-year-old Wisconsin man, Mark Buschman, has pleaded guilty to running an illegal export operation that shipped US-acquired firearms to Saudi Arabia from February 2019 to December 2024. Buschman, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, sold the firearms and related parts without a license, advertising them on eBay and other online marketplaces, and generating approximately $305,614 in sales from Saudi Arabian-based buyers.
Buschman’s operation involved removing serial numbers from some of the firearms and parts, then hiding them inside household appliances and tools such as toasters and coffee makers, before shipping them to freight forwarders in Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon, and elsewhere. He failed to declare the shipments as containing firearms or their parts.
The investigation, conducted by the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office and the US Postal Inspection Service, led to Buschman’s indictment and subsequent guilty plea. As part of his plea, Buschman agreed to forfeit $180,000 in criminal proceeds.
Buschman is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2026, and faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat the illegal export of firearms and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Weapons
- Defendant: Wisconsin
- Location: OH
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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