Mass. Man Sentenced for Illegally Shipping Gun Parts

A Massachusetts man who illegally shipped gun parts around the world has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison.

Prosecutors say between November 2010 and March 2012 60-year-old David Maricola sent more than $100,000 worth of components for assault rifles, handguns and machine guns that ended up in 20 countries, including France, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and Germany.

They said parts shipped by Maricola were used in two gang shootings in Finland, one of which was fatal.

The Southbridge man was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty in April to 32 charges, including conspiracy, exporting gun components, making false statements on customs forms and money laundering.

Prosecutors say Maricola mislabeled customs forms when shipping the parts to say that they were for replica guns or were "aluminum sculptures."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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