Dealer Gets 18 Months in Iran Arms Scheme
A Granada Hills arms dealer convicted of promoting a scheme to ship stolen U.S. Army anti-tank missiles to Iran has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by a federal court judge in Orlando, Fla.
Charles St. Claire, 53, also was fined $15,000 by U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp. He was convicted last December along with Paul Cutter, 47, of San Jose, whom the prosecution described as the mastermind. Cutter received a five-year prison term in January.
St. Claire, a registered arms dealer, made the first contact with an FBI informant early last year in Orlando, presenting a list of weapons he wanted to buy for shipment to Iran in violation of a 1979 weapons ban to that country. Four other defendants were acquitted.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
