Former soldier stationed at Fort Carson convicted for smuggling firearms

A former member of the United States Army who was stationed at Fort Carson was convicted on Tuesday for smuggling firearms into the Dominican Republic.

Government officials presented records to a judge showing Katherine O’Neal making several trips to the Dominican Republic shortly after purchasing firearms in Denver and Colorado Springs, including one trip where she flew from Denver to the Dominican Republic with 11 firearms in her luggage in early June 2015.

According to the Department of Justice, O’Neal declared the firearms to the airline but did not obtain the required State Department export license. The Dominican also has a ban on all imported firearms.

Her bags were misdirected by the airline and arrived at the Dominican Republic later after her arrival. Authorities noticed the firearms, so when O’Neal went to claim her luggage, she was arrested.

A Denver jury found O’Neal guilty of violating 18 U.S.C. § 554(a), which prohibits smuggling goods from the United States.

She will be sentenced in August.