Pennsylvania Man Convicted of Torture and Exporting Weapons Parts to Iraq

Ross Roggio, a Pennsylvania man, has been convicted of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, and other crimes related to the operation of an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Kurdistan, Iraq. Roggio arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain an Estonian citizen who worked at the factory, where he was developing M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols. Roggio suffocated, threatened, and directed the soldiers to physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period. Roggio also illegally exported firearm parts and provided training to foreign persons in the operation, assembly, and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.