A Polk County man accused of taking part in an international smuggling operation that shipped firearm components, ammunition and stolen credit cards to foreign countries has pled guilty to illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon and delaying or destroying mail, federal prosecutors said.
Alan Placzkiewicz, 76, of Falls City, “acted as a mule” in the smuggling operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Oregon said in a press release. In addition to pleading guilty, Placzkiewicz agreed to pay more than $117,00 in restitution.
He was charged in August 2022 with fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud. A federal grand jury in May 2023 returned a seven-count indictment against him.
Prosecutors said Placzkiewicz received two packages at his residence in October 2020 that contained AR-15-style assault rifle stocks and 1,300 rounds of 6.5mm 139-grain bullets. He then relabeled and declared them as “camping gear” and shipped them, prosecutors said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted the two packages shipped to individual in Moscow, Russia.