Minn. man pleads guilty to smuggling ammunition

Published 9:54 am Thursday, March 21, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to smuggling thousands of rounds of ammunition from the United States to Ukraine.

Thirty-seven-year-old Paul Kalash of Plymouth pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of smuggling goods from the U.S.

U.S. Custom and Border Protection agents seized several packages of ammunition Kalash tried to ship to Ukraine last year. Kalash argued he was sending the ammunition to a friend who is a competitive shooter.

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But the Star Tribune reports federal investigators said the ammunition Kalash bought from an online firearms dealer appeared to be inconsistent with competitive shooting.

Kalash faces up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing has not been scheduled.