Friday, Dec. 24, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
Two Las Vegas men pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to conspiring with a U.S. Navy Seal and another man to unlawfully sell machine guns and other firearms and explosives in Las Vegas, Colorado, and elsewhere, Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said.
Andrew Kaufman, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell machine guns and other firearms and explosives and to illegally transfer of a machine gun.
Omar Aguirre, 35, who had not previously been charged in the case, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging conspiracy to sell machine guns and other firearms and explosives.
They both pleaded guilty before before Senior U.S. District Judge Lloyd George and are scheduled to be sentenced March 25.
According to the plea agreements, Kaufman and Aguirre were able to obtain illegal weapons and explosives through co-conspirator Nicholas Bickle, who was an active duty Navy Seal. Bickle allegedly smuggled the weapons and explosives to the United States from overseas, and the defendants then arranged for the weapons and explosives to be transported from San Diego to Las Vegas and Colorado, where they sold them to individuals, including persons who had the intent to take the firearms to Mexico.
More than 70 firearms were smuggled and sold in the conspiracy, including rifles, pistols, shotguns, and 30 machine guns, the plea memorandums stated.
Two other defendants in the case, Bickle, 33, of San Diego, and Richard Paul, 34, of Durango, Colo., were arraigned this morning on a superseding indictment, which charges them with conspiracy; distribution and transportation of explosive materials by a non-licensee; transporting a destructive device without a license; unlawful possession and transfer of machine guns, unregistered firearms, unlawfully imported firearms, and stolen firearms; and dealing in firearms without a license.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released pending a trial set to begin Jan. 24.
The defendants were charged following a five-month investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Metro Police.
Authorities said that an undercover ATF task force officer purchased 18 machine guns and 14 other firearms from the defendants in Las Vegas, and Durango and Bayfield, Colo.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew Smith and J. Gregory Damm.
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