Man Admits Trying to Sell Weapons to Cartel
An Idaho man has admitted violating federal weapons laws by trying to sell undercover agents 30-millimeter cannons, each capable of firing 1,200 rounds a minute.
Steven L. Picatti, 54, of Boise entered a guilty plea in Los Angeles federal court Monday to charges of conspiracy and illegal transfer of a destructive device.
Picatti and Kasi Gabitta, 54, of Hacienda Heights were arrested in April in a sting operation conducted by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the U.S. Customs Service.
Undercover agents told them they wanted six cannons for a drug cartel. Picatti, co-owner of Boise-based Jet Aviation Services, is to be sentenced Dec. 21.
Gabitta is scheduled to go on trial Oct. 20 on charges of conspiracy and assisting Picatti in shipping one of the cannons to the Los Angeles area.
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