2 plead guilty in US weapons contracting case

MIAMI, May 26 – An international news agency reported Tuesday that two men pleaded guilty in Miami to federal fraud charges for their roles in a scheme to ship Chinese-made ammunition to the Afghan military in violation of a U.S. Army contract worth nearly $300 million.
David Packouz and Alexander Podrizki, both 27, each pleaded guilty to a single fraud conspiracy charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard set sentencing for Sept. 28, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Packouz, who is also a songwriter and musician, was vice president of AEY Inc., a Miami Beach-based defense contractor, and Podrizki was the firm’s agent in Albania. AEY president Efraim Diveroli and business associate Ralph Merrill have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial in the case.