Ross Roggio Found Guilty of Brutal Torture and Operation of Illegal Weapons Manufacturing Plant in Kurdistan

In a significant verdict, a federal jury has convicted Ross Roggio, a 54-year-old resident of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, for a range of crimes, including the torture of an Estonian citizen in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2015. The conviction is tied to Roggio's involvement in operating an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in the Kurdistan region.

According to court documents and trial evidence, Roggio orchestrated the abduction and imprisonment of the victim at a Kurdish military compound. Over a horrifying span of 39 days, Roggio subjected the victim to severe physical and mental abuse, including suffocation with a belt, threats of finger amputation, and repeated beatings, tasings, and chokings by Kurdish soldiers. The victim was employed at a weapons factory being developed by Roggio in the Kurdistan region, intended for the production of M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols.

Additionally, Roggio illegally exported firearm parts controlled for export by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce as part of the weapons factory project. He also provided training to foreign individuals on the operation, assembly, and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division stated, "Roggio brutally tortured another human being to prevent interference with his illegal activities. Thanks to the courage of the victim and other witnesses, the hard work of U.S. law enforcement, and the assistance of Estonian authorities, he will now be held accountable for his cruelty."

U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania expressed gratitude towards the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who tirelessly addressed these acts committed in Iraq. He further noted that the guilty verdict highlights that Roggio's brutal acts of directing and participating in the torture of an employee over an extended period of time could not escape justice.

The conviction encompasses multiple charges, including torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the Department of State, exporting weapon tools to Iraq without the approval of the Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud, and money laundering. Roggio is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Roggio's conviction marks only the second time a defendant has been found guilty of torture since the federal torture statute was established in 1994.

The investigation into the torture was conducted by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office also participated in the investigation of export control violations related to the firearms manufacturing equipment.

The prosecution team includes Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Assistance was provided by the Estonian Internal Security Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Pennsylvania State Police.