"Amin al-Baroudi, 50, a Syrian-born naturalized US citizen, formerly of Irvine, California, was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for conspiring to export US-origin goods from the United States to Syria in violation of sanctions imposed on Syria by the US government," the statement said.
According to court documents, Baroudi and several co-conspirators purchased tens of thousands of dollars of US-made tactical equipment including sniper rifle scopes, night vision goggles and bullet proof vests.
Prosecutors allege that Baroudi and his co-conspirators traveled with the goods to Turkey aboard commercial flights and then transported the goods into Syria for the purpose of supplying and arming insurgent groups that fought against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Baroudi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defy US sanctions on January 15, 2016.
The US government first implemented sanctions against Syria in 2004. Following the fighting in Syria in March 2011, subsequent sanctions were made in response to the ongoing civil war in the region.
