DOJ: Weld County Man, Michael Suppes, Smuggled Firearms To Other Countries
WELD COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – A Weld County man pleaded guilty this week to possessing unregistered firearms and to smuggling gun parts out of the United States. Michael John Suppes, 46, operated a business, MJS Performance LLC, that sold firearm parts and motorcycle muffler parts.
Between Jan. 25, 2015 and Nov. 5, 2018, he shipped more than 1,200 domestic and international packages. Suppes was not a licensed firearm dealer or manufacturer.
According to Suppes' plea agreement, he helped in manufacturing and dealing in firearms, exported firearm parts to buyers in other countries without an export license. He also possessed unregistered short-barreled rifles.
Homeland Security Investigations learned of multiple packages that contained concealed gun parts destined for countries like Saudi Arabia, India and Cambodia.
Between December 2018 and April 2019, Suppes spoke with people who said they wanted to smuggle firearms into Mexico. In April 2019, he agreed to sell one of the individuals 30 AR-15 and 20 AK-47 rifles as well as magazines and ammunition.
Suppes was arrested on his way to meet with the individual with 50 rifles, magazines, and ammunition with him. Most of the firearms were short-barreled rifles.
Suppes agreed to giving up assets totaling nearly $300,000 and to forfeit 123 firearms as well as firearm parts and ammunition.
Suppes faces up to 10 years in federal prison, followed by up to three years on supervised release. He also faces up to a $250,000 fine.
