Former Marine Convicted of Having Chrome-Plated AK-47 That May Have Belonged to Saddam's Royal Guard

July 3, 2012

Former Marine guilty of having AK-47 from Iraq

, Associated Press

This chrome-plated AK-47, which was taken from one of Saddam Hussein's palaces, was returned to Iraq in 2010. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A federal jury in Southern California has convicted a former U.S. Marine of illegally possessing a chrome-plated AK-47 that may have once belonged to a member of Saddam Hussein's royal guard.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Chiu said in a statement Tuesday that 40-year-old Joel Cleve Miller, of Twentynine Palms, was found guilty last week of illegally possessing a machine gun.

Miller was not convicted of transporting the weapon from Iraq.

Weapons experts determined the gun was from Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan because of its markings.

Miller was initially accused of possessing and selling another machine gun but was acquitted on those charges.

He faces up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing scheduled for Sept. 27.