A shadowy Russian arms dealer was convicted yesterday of seeking to make millions of dollars by selling heavy weaponry to a terror group so it could attack what prosecutors said he told his customers was a common enemy—U.S. forces helping the Colombian government. A Southern District jury reached the verdict in the case against Viktor Bout after deliberating for about six hours over two days. He was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans and U.S. officials, deliver anti-aircraft missiles and aid a terrorist organization.
Mr. Bout could face life in prison at his sentencing, which was scheduled for Feb. 8. Before he left court, he hugged one of his attorneys, Albert Y. Dayan, and shook the hand of another, Kenneth Kaplan. “We’re disappointed, obviously,” Mr. Kaplan said. “It was a tough case.”
