New Delhi man sentenced to prison in Louisiana for smuggling firearms into the U.S.

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NEW YORK – Mohit Chauhan, 31, of New Delhi, was sentenced by Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, in Louisiana, to 30 months in prison for selling and smuggling silencers illegally.

Chauhan pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote in Louisiana to one count of dealing firearms without a license.

According to the April 20, 2017 guilty plea, someone living in the U.S. had contacted Chauhan saying that they wanted to buy silencers from him, to which Chauhan agreed and started manufacturing them and shipped them to the United States labeling the boxes as “auto parts” to throw off customs officers.

After many phone calls and emails, Chauhan finally arrived in the U.S. on Dec. 1, 2016, with silencer parts, to meet the buyer and discuss the details of the sale. However, federal agents recorded their meeting at a Bossier City restaurant and Chauhan was caught.

The Shreveport Times reported that Chauhan did not have a license to deal silencers or even conduct any business with them and that they were shipped to the U.S as foreign commerce.