David Packouz

David Packouz
Packouz in 2016
Born (1982-02-17) February 17, 1982 (age 42)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation(s)Arms dealer, musician, and inventor
Children1
Conviction(s)Conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States
Criminal penalty7 months house arrest

David Mordechai Packouz (/pækhaʊs/ born February 17, 1982) is an American arms dealer, musician and inventor. Packouz joined Efraim Diveroli on the 17th of September 2005, in Diveroli's arms company AEY Inc. By the end of 2006, the company had won 149 contracts worth around $10.5 million.[1] In early 2007, AEY secured a nearly $300 million U.S. government contract to supply the Afghan Army with 100 million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, aviation rockets and other munitions.[2][3] The ammunition that AEY had secured in Albania to fulfill the contract had originally come from China, violating the terms of AEY's contract with the US Army, which bans Chinese ammunition. Packouz was aware that the products were prohibited and would not be accepted, and was instrumental in the covering up of the origins of the ammunition.[4][5]

As a result of the publicity surrounding the contract and the age of the arms dealers – Packouz was 25 and Diveroli was 21 when AEY landed the ammunition deal – the United States Army began a review of its contracting procedures.[6]

Packouz was sentenced to seven months of house arrest for conspiracy to defraud the United States.[4] He is the central subject of the 2016 Todd Phillips dramedy film War Dogs. Packouz himself has a cameo role in the film as a guitarist and singer at an elderly home.

Packouz later co-founded War Dogs Academy, an online school that teaches how to start a government contracting business. [7]

Packouz went on to invent a guitar pedal drum machine, the BeatBuddy, and is currently the CEO of music technology company Singular Sound.[8][9][10]

  1. ^ Korten, Tristram (2009). "Playing with Fire". Details. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mother Jones was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NY Daily News was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Lawson, Guy (March 16, 2011). "The Stoner Arms Dealers: How Two American Kids Became Big-Time Weapons Traders". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  5. ^ "United States v. Aey, Inc". Court Listener. March 24, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  6. ^ Chivers, C.J. (April 27, 2008). "Allegations Lead Army to Review Arms Policy". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  7. ^ "War Dogs Academy".
  8. ^ "Miami entrepreneur strikes chord with customers, raises $349,236 on crowdfunding campaign | The Starting Gate". miamiherald.typepad.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  9. ^ "NBC Miami interview".
  10. ^ "Guitar Aficionado, Guitars Over Guns and Singular Sound bring music education to at-risk youth". August 18, 2016.