BY SAMANTHA HEARN
A Brentwood man was recently sentenced to 15 months in prison for his part in Sabre Defence Industries, LLC illegal exporting of firearm components.
Elmer Hill, age 69, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Todd J. Campbell on Friday, Aug. 19 along with three others for violating the Arms Export Control Act, and conspiring to do so.
Hill is the former Sabre Chief Financial Officer, and was sentenced along with Charles Shearon, age 60, of Goodlettsville and the former president of Sabre, who got 18 months. Michael Curlett, age 49 of Wixom Michigan and the former Sabre Director of Sales and Marketing, was sentenced to 13 months. Arnold See, Jr., age 59 of Murfreesboro and the former Sabre International Shipping and Purchasing Manager, was sentenced to 13 months as well.
All defendants were also ordered to serve one year of supervised release at the conclusion of their prison terms.
Sabre had contracts with the U.S. government valued at more than $74 million for the manufacture of certain military-grade weapons, including the M16 rifle and other semi-automatic and fully-automatic firearms. All four defendants pleaded guilty to violating the Arms Export Control Act and conspiring to do so.
In pleading guilty, each of the defendants admitted to conspiring to export firearms and firearm components that were classified as defense articles without first obtaining the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State. The defendants also acknowledged their role in trying to conceal Sabre’s illegal exports through the use of falsified shipping documents and, at times, the use of shipping crates with false bottoms.
Sabre also maintained a fictitious set of business books to conceal its unlawful shipments of firearm parts, lied about the value of items on shipping documents and illegally imported firearm silencers.
Guy Savage, age 47 of London, England, also has been charged in the case and is facing extradition proceedings. An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt, and Savage is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. There was also assistance from the Department of Defense – Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and John K. Webb.
Samantha Hearn reports for Home Page Media Group. She can be reached via email at[email protected].
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