Viroqua man arrested on federal charges of smuggling firearms through the mail to Saudi customers

A five-year-long weapon smuggling scheme involving buyers from Saudi Arabia reportedly has been disrupted with an arrest in Vernon County, in the Town of Harmony.

Mark Buschman of Viroqua was captured Tuesday by Vernon County sheriff’s officers and federal agents. The 60-year-old Buschman faces federal charges of selling firearms and parts on-line to Saudi customers, who allegedly paid him nearly $400,000 for the purchases from 2019 until last December.

Buschman is suspected of hiding the weapons and parts inside of appliances, such as coffee makers and toasters, as well as inside fans and space heaters, to get them through the mail without a license for dealing in firearms. He reportedly used a fake return address, and shipped the packages to freight forwarders operating in several states.

Buschman could get up to 42 years in prison if he’s convicted of smuggling weapons, and may be fined up to $1.5 million. The case is being investigated by postal inspectors and homeland security employees, based in the Cleveland area.