One-year sentence for man who smuggled guns to Turkey

SEATTLE – A Seattle man has been sentenced to a year in prison for smuggling guns to Turkey – weapons that were ultimately intended for Kurdish fighters in Iraq.

The defendant, 30-year-old Rawnd Khaleel Aldalawi, is an Iraq native. Federal prosecutors said he joined another man, 52-year-old Paul Brunt, of Bellevue, in the smuggling conspiracy. Prosecutors say Brunt bought the firearms and the men shipped them hidden in the side panels of vehicles.

The first shipment, in February 2017, involved 30 guns hidden in three cars. The second, in November 2017, included 47 guns hidden in two cars. The latter shipment was discovered by Turkish authorities, prompting the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes says the smuggling “increased the risks of violent attack for those living in an already dangerous part of the world.”

Brunt faces sentencing in March.