BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Guy Deland a/k/a Mark a/k/a Security Prime, 68, and Charan Singh, 56, both from Quebec, Canada, pleaded guilty before U.S. District judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Between November 2016 and April 2017, Deland and Singh conspired with others, including Aydan Sin, to export defense articles on the United States Munitions List (USML) in violation of United States law.

In November 2016, Singh began communicating with an undercover law enforcement agent (UCA), inquiring about whether the UCA could export firearms from the United States to the United Arab Emirates. During the communications, Singh, Deland, and Sin were advised by the UCA that a license was required from the United States Department of State in order to legally export the firearms. The defendants acknowledged the illegality of the attempted exports, provided an encrypted Blackberry device to the UCA for the purpose of secure, covert communications, and wired approximately $70,000 USD from Canada to the United States as a 50% down payment for the export of the goods.

On December 7, 2016, Sin, through telephone and email, requested the gun order include 9mm handguns and Uzi machine guns. On December 9, 2016, Sin told the UCA that rather than get an export license, he wanted the UCA to export the firearms “the wrong way.”

Subsequently, on January 10, 2017, the UCA emailed two revised invoices to Deland and Sin. One invoice was for the export to Dubai of three new Glock 9mm firearms, six magazines, two used Mini Uzi submachine guns, two suppressors, and 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition for the firearms, for a total cost of $20,575. The second invoice was for the export to Colombia (thru Panama) of 37 new Glock 9mm firearms, 74 magazines, 13 used Mini Uzi submachine guns, 13 suppressors, and 3,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition for the firearms, for a total cost of $121,175. Both invoices contained language stating that exporting these products was prohibited by law without an export license. On February 6 and 7, 2017, an undercover bank account, located in the Western District of New York, received two bank wire transfers from a bank account in Canada, each in the amount of $34,990 USD, representing 50% of the total purchase price of the firearms, suppressors, and ammunition.

On March 10, 2017, Sin contacted the UCA and asked if the shipment of guns to Columbia would occur in a few days. On March 20, 2017, the UCA used existing sea freight shipment tracking numbers and told Sin and Deland that the firearms, suppressors, and ammunition were shipped to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, and the shipment of guns to Columbia would occur on March 29, 2017. The UCA also provided them with tracking information.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango and Trial Attorney Beaudre Barnes from the Counterintelligence & Export Control Section of the National Security Division at the Department of Justice. The pleas are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone. Additional assistance was provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Deland is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., Singh on January 16, 2027, at 11:00 a.m., both before Judge Arcara.# # # #