Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Overseas Torture, Weapons Violations
A Pennsylvania man is sentenced for torture and illegally exporting weapons, for incidents that occurred in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 2015.
55-year-old Ross Roggio is the second person to be convicted of torture since the federal torture statute went into effect in 1994.
Roggio was sentenced to more than 70 years in prison.
The suspect, described as a “serial fraudster” by federal prosecutors, allegedly conned Kurdish officials into hiring him to build a weapons factory in Kurdistan.
According to court documents, Roggio arranged for Kurdish soldiers to kidnap and detain an Estonian man who worked at his weapons factory.
Roggio allegedly suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and “directed Kurdish soldiers to repeatedly beat, choke, tase, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period.”
“The sentencing today is a testament to not only the diligent work done by law enforcement, both here and overseas, but most importantly, the courage of the victim and witnesses in coming forward,” said FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs. “Torture is among the most egregious crimes the FBI investigates. The FBI along with our law enforcement partners will continue to purse justice for victims of these horrendous crimes.”
Case Details
According to a Rolling Stone article which profiled the case, Roggio allegedly conned a Kurdish official into hiring him to build an illegal weapons factory in Iraq.
Prosecutors say that instead of using quality parts to make weapons, Roggio embezzled the money.
“When Roggio began feeling pressure from Kurdish officials to start showing results, he elected to export from the United States to Iraq components that were essential to mass-producing these weapons,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.
Roggio was also concerned that the Estonian worker would blow the whistle on his scheme and ordered the battalion of Kurdish soldiers to kidnap him.
In addition to the torture charges, Roggio was sentenced for illegally exporting firearms parts and tools without proper approval, and for illegally training foreigners in making M4 automatic rifles.
“Though more technical in nature, these laws are no less important and are designed to take into account human rights considerations on a larger scale, to limit access to our most sensitive technologies and weapons, and to promote regional stability. I commend all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to bring justice in this matter,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Gerard M. Karam.
Some of the weapons made in Roggio’s factory have ended up in the hands of Hamas, and with other groups in the Middle East.
A federal jury convicted Roggio of 33 charges in May 2023.
The FBI and HSI investigated the torture and were joined in the investigation of the arms export violations by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Office of Export Enforcement.