Efraim Diveroli | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 20, 1985 |
| Occupation(s) | Author and former arms dealer |
| Criminal status | Released August 2014[2] |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm |
| Criminal penalty | 4 years in federal prison |
Efraim Diveroli (born December 20, 1985)[3] is a former American arms dealer and author.[4] Notably, he operated under the banner of AEY, Inc., a company that secured significant contracts as a major weapons contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense. AEY was suspended by the U.S. government due to contractual violations.
AEY had supplied Chinese ammunition to Afghanistan, attempting to conceal its origin by repackaging it as Albanian. Although this did not violate the American arms embargo against China, because the ammo was manufactured pre 1989, it was a violation of their contract with the government which said no Chinese ammo at all. Concealing its origin then became an act of fraud.[5][6][7] This incident prompted the United States Army to initiate a review of its contracting procedures.[6] Efraim Diveroli, at the age of 21, and his partner, David Packouz, at 25, gained notoriety for their involvement in the high-profile ammunition deal. Subsequently, Diveroli was sentenced to four years in federal prison.[8]
Diveroli's story became the focal point of the 2016 Todd Phillips film, War Dogs,[9] in which Jonah Hill portrayed Diveroli. Additionally, a memoir co-authored by Diveroli and Matthew Cox was published in 2016.[10]