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3 men, woman sentenced to prison in firearm export conspiracy

Posted at 1:43 PM, Apr 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-27 18:05:18-04

Three men and a woman from Southern Arizona were sentenced Wednesday to prison for exporting firearms, ammunition and silencers to Hong Kong.

Peter Steve Plesinger, a 55-year-old Sahuarita resident, was sentenced to 87 months and Stephen Edward, a 63-year-old from Tucson, was sentenced to 102 months. Both had admitted to exporting munitions, dealing firearms without a license and money laundering.

Irina Cvetkovic and Earl Richmond, both who come from Sahuarita, were convicted of lesser roles.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, authorities intercepted a package filled with weapons and ammunition headed to Hong Kong in June 2014.

"The sentences imposed in this case should send a strong message to those who would consider illegally exporting firearms, ammunition, or silencers to other countries," said acting United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange, in a statement. "We will continue to work diligently with our national and international partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute such conduct."