Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Smuggling Firearm
PITTSBURGH – Tarek Mohamed Chok, a 50-year-old Pittsburgh resident, has been sentenced in federal court to three years of probation with a condition of six months’ home detention on his conviction of smuggling goods from the United States, announced United States Attorney David J. Hickton today.
Sr. United States District Judge Maurice B. Cohill imposed the sentence on Chok.
According to information presented to the court, on September 18, 2012, Chok shipped a Springfield, Model 1911, .45 caliber pistol via FedEx from Pittsburgh to Lebanon. The package containing the firearm was intercepted in Dubai.
On the shipping declaration, Chok declared the contents of the package to be a “car lock, keys, and student documents.” When approached by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about his shipment, Chok initially lied and stated that the firearm in question, which records indicate was purchased by him, was “stolen” from him. Eventually, Chok admitted that he had, in fact, sent the firearm via FedEx, that he had lied to agents about it, and he misrepresented the contents of the package because he believed that if he had listed the true contents of the package, FedEx would not have sent the package.
Assistant United States Attorney James T. Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Department of Homeland Security for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Chok.
Chok was found guilty of smuggling goods from the United States on September 18, 2012. He has been sentenced to three years of probation with a condition of six months’ home detention.
This case is an example of the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat firearms smuggling and protect national security.
Related Federal Cases
- Derby Clerfe, Firearms Smuggling, Pennsylvania 2024 · Pennsylvania
- William Kent Bricker, Violating Federal Firearms Laws, Pennsylvania 2012 · Washington
- Gene F. Bussard, Illegally Hoarding Firearms and Ammunition, Pennsylvania 2013 · South Carolina
- Rodney Cossari, Felon in Possession of Firearms, Pennsylvania 2024 · Virginia
- Julian Crosby, Federal Firearms Violation, Pennsylvania 2016 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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