Drabos found guilty of exporting firearms to Mexico

PHOENIX - A Douglas man was found guilty earlier this month for conspiracy to export firearms to Mexico.

Paul K. Charlton, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, and Lester D. Martz, Special Agent in Charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced that on January 28, 2005, Luis Demetrio Drabos, 25, of Douglas, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Export Firearms Without a License, Possession of Unregistered Machineguns and Possession of Unregistered Silencers, in violation of Title18, U.S. Code, Section 371, by a federal jury in Phoenix.

The evidence at trial showed that during the period of October 1, 2000 through February 4, 2004, Drabos and four other individuals conspired to export over 100 firearms, including unregistered machineguns and silencers, to Mexico without an export license.

In the course of the conspiracy, the five conspirators spent over $50,000 on firearms at licensed gun dealers in Phoenix, Chandler, Glendale, Sierra Vista and Douglas, Ariz. Among the firearms purchased were semi-automatic AK-47 style rifles and .50 caliber handguns. Charges arose after three co-conspirators were arrested for purchasing an unregistered machinegun equipped with a silencer for $1,000 from an ATF undercover agent. At the time of the undercover sale on February 4, 2004, in Phoenix, the three co-conspirators were all armed with, or had immediate access to, loaded firearms Drabos had purchased the day before in Glendale.

Drabos was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal's Service after the jury returned the guilty verdict. The case was tried before U.S. District Court Judge Frederick J. Martone from January 13 through 28, 2005. Sentencing is set before Judge Martone on Tuesday, April 26, 2005, at 3:00 p.m.

A conviction for this type of Conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years, a $250,000 fine or both.

The investigation leading to the guilty verdict was conducted by the Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Phoenix and Douglas Police Departments. The prosecution is being handled by Frederick A. Battista, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona.