No verdict yet in weapons trial of Navy SEAL

A federal jury deliberated about eight hours Thursday without reaching a verdict in the case of a Navy SEAL accused of bringing weapons into the country from Iraq for his own profit.

Prosecutors allege Petty Officer 1st Class Nicholas Bickle, 33, was the ringleader of a conspiracy to deal unlawfully in firearms. Three other defendants in the case have accepted plea bargains and admitted selling weapons for Bickle.

Bickle's trial began Sept. 19 in Las Vegas. The jury, which began deliberating Thursday morning, is scheduled to resume its discussions today.

Prosecutors have said more than 70 firearms, including about 30 machine guns, were sold in the conspiracy. They said evidence established that Bickle set the prices for those firearms and received most of the profits from the sales.

The San Diego-based SEAL was the only military member charged in the case. He was arrested in November.

In addition to the conspiracy charge, Bickle faces charges of dealing in firearms without a license, possession and transfer of machine guns, possession and sale of stolen firearms, receiving and concealing property of the United States, and distributing explosives to a non-licensee.