Ms Sparky

(DoJ) – LAS VEGAS – July 17, 2012 – The U.S. Navy SEAL who was convicted last fall of multiple felony weapons charges, including dealing in stolen firearms, was sentenced today to 17½ years in federal prison and three years of supervised release, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Nicholas Bickle, 34, of San Diego, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger L. Hunt. Bickle was convicted by a jury in October 2011 of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully receive, transport, possess and transfer machineguns and stolen firearms and to deal in firearms; one count of dealing in firearms without a license; four counts of possession and transfer of machine guns; five counts of possession, concealment, sale and disposition of stolen firearms; one count of receiving, concealing and retaining property of the United States; and one count of transportation by and distribution of explosives to a non-licensee. The judge imposed a greater sentence because of the large number of firearms involved, the types of firearms involved, and because the firearms were stolen and trafficked. Judge Hunt also found that Bickle was a leader or organizer of the offense, and that Bickle had abused his position of trust in order to facilitate the offenses.

“The weapons trafficked in this case were not your ordinary firearms; rather, they were fully-automatic machineguns that likely would have ended up in the hands of criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “The defendant’s conduct was serious, and the Court imposed a lengthy prison sentence that should serve as a deterrent to anyone who is considering trafficking in machineguns or other firearms.”

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