(WFRV) – A man from western Wisconsin was indicted on federal charges after allegedly selling and smuggling guns to buyers overseas.
According to the Department of Justice, 60-year-old Mark Buschman from Viroqua was indicted for allegedly selling guns and other related items without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia. He is also accused of shipping the prohibited items and lying to federal inspectors.
Buschman reportedly started an ‘illegal export conspiracy’ for over five years. It allegedly lasted from around February 2019 to December 2024. The release claims that Buschman got firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised them for sale on eBay and other websites.
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Apparently, buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items and Buschman agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country. Officials say that over the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid Buschman an estimated $398,000.
Court documents reportedly showed that serial numbers from some of the items were removed before being shipped. Bushcman allegedly concealed the items inside common household appliances before shipping them.
One example provided in the release is that Buschman allegedly put smaller pistols inside of toasters.
If he is convicted on all counts he faces a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison and fines up to $1.5 million.
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The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office says that on February 4 around 8:45 a.m. Buschman was taken into custody in rural Viroqua.
No additional information was provided.
