BOSTON – Two Malaysian nationals pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to illegally export firearm parts from the United States to Hong Kong.

Lionel Chan, 36, who previously resided in Brighton, Mass., and Muhammad Mohd Radzi, 27, who previously resided in Brooklyn, N.Y., each pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Arms Export Control Act. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2021.

Beginning in or around March 2018, Chan began purchasing a variety of U.S.-origin firearm parts online, including parts used to assemble AR-15 assault rifles and 9MM semi-automatic handguns, for a buyer located in Hong Kong. Many of the firearm parts that Chan purchased and exported to Hong Kong are restricted items that cannot be exported from the United States without a license or approval from the U.S. government. Nonetheless, Chan shipped the firearm parts via Federal Express to the buyer in Hong Kong without first obtaining the necessary export licenses. Chan intentionally concealed the contents of the shipments by providing Federal Express with false information about the shipments, and by concealing the parts inside of each package. Between March and May 2018, Chan shipped at least 12 packages containing firearm parts from Brighton to the buyer in Hong Kong.

In or around April 2018, Radzi joined the conspiracy and also began illegally exporting firearm parts from the United States to Hong Kong. Between May and October 2018, Radzi shipped 21 packages from Brooklyn, N.Y., to the buyer in Hong Kong. In October 2018, two of those packages were interdicted by Hong Kong authorities and found to contain numerous firearms parts, including a firing pin and gun sight, which were export controlled. Like Chan, Radzi failed to obtain an export license for any of these shipments.

The charge of conspiring to illegally export controlled firearm parts from the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling and William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Massachusetts State Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection also assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of Lelling’s National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.