Former Blackwater president charged in firearms case
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The former president of the security firm Blackwater Worldwide has been indicted on weapons charges, along with four other former officials of the company.
The charges stem from a raid on Blackwater's headquarters in the US state of North Carolina, which uncovered 22 unregistered weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles.
The charges involve a case in which weapons were given to Jordanian officials in hopes of winning their business, while it was stated they were bought by employees.
In the Jordanian case, King Abdullah visited Blackwater's training facility in North Carolina as the company tried to win a lucrative contract for building and running a training center, according to prosecutors and the indictment.
He and his entourage were presented with five firearms as gifts "to gain favor," the indictment said.
Blackwater fell out of favour as a government contractor after a shooting in Iraq, which left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.
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