An 80-year-old Canton man admitted in federal court Monday that he smuggled firearms from Northeast Ohio to Greece for resale, turning an international trip into a federal case. George Manuselis pleaded guilty after investigators traced a firearm recovered in Greece back to a licensed dealer in Canton.
As reported by Cleveland.com, Manuselis entered a guilty plea to one count of smuggling goods from the United States before U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster. The dual U.S.-Greek citizen was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport after booking a same-day flight to Greece, with firearms hidden in his suitcase.
A separate legal notice from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lists $56,712 seized from George Manuselis in Jamaica, New York, on January 9, 2026, for federal forfeiture. The notice does not explain how the cash relates to the gun-smuggling case, but it places a substantial seizure in the same New York area where Manuselis was arrested.
Federal investigators began tracking Manuselis after a firearm recovered in Greece was traced to a licensed firearms dealer in Canton. The case report also says Manuselis had signed a warning acknowledging that he could not purchase firearms for other people or take them out of the country.
Manuselis agreed to forfeit five pistols and approximately 940 rounds of ammunition. Investigators also found that he possessed multiple firearms at the airport as he prepared to leave the United States.
Sentencing Is Set For November
Manuselis is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2026. The federal smuggling statute allows a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, along with a fine, according to the U.S. Code.
That maximum is not a prediction of what Manuselis will receive, and the final sentence will be determined by the federal court. The guilty plea resolves the smuggling charge, while the forfeiture agreement ensures the pistols and ammunition named in the case will not return to circulation.
