Editors Note: The following press release is directly from ATF. Regular readers of AmmoLand News know our stance on the unaccountable Federal Agency: No comment. We invite our readers to leave their hard-hitting insights in the comments below.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – -(AmmoLand.com)- Eleven defendants have been convicted and sentenced in a conspiracy to smuggle at least 200 firearms from Ohio to Canada for tens of thousands of dollars.
Abdulwahab Sharif Mohamed Hassan, 30, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced in federal court today to 72 months in prison.
A federal grand jury charged the co-conspirators in indictments returned on Aug. 19, 2020, and Nov. 19, 2020. Defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 months and 1 day to 72 months of imprisonment.
The defendants acquired firearms both legally and illegally, stockpiled the firearms, and smuggled them to Canada to re-sell them for a profit. The group bought guns both through private sales and through straw purchases at gun shows.
For example, in April 2019, co-conspirators caused two individuals to conduct straw purchases of four firearms at the C&E Gun Show at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.
Defendants recruited female drivers to smuggle firearms across the border or to bring money back from Canada through promises of a free trip to Canada, payment, and access to drugs and alcohol.
In July 2018, more than $11,000 was seized by law enforcement from two of the defendants on one trip back to Ohio from Canada. Two months later, more than $25,000 in cash was seized from two other defendants at the John Glenn International Airport. For his part, Abdulwahab Hassan reported during the sentencing process that he had approximately $88,000 in cash on hand, despite not having a job during time periods relevant to the firearms-trafficking conspiracy.
On various occasions in 2019, individuals related to the conspiracy attempted to travel to Canada and were stopped by law enforcement. During each incident, multiple firearms were discovered in the vehicles.
In total, the defendants conspired to smuggle more than 200 guns from Ohio to Canada from approximately July of 2018 through about the middle of 2019. To date, at least 10 of those guns have been directly traced to crimes in Canada.
Those convicted in the conspiracy include:
Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland Herndon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; United States Marshal Pete Tobin; Ohio Highway Patrol Superintendent Lt. Col. Richard Fambro; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the sentences imposed. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Kelly A. Norris represented the United States in this case.
Columbus Field Division
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating violations of the federal firearms and explosives laws and regulations. More information about ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.
Anything the BATF does is as unconstitutional as the agency. BATF and any restrictive gun laws and conditional restrictions should not exist in the USA. There should be no difference between what these people did with guns than if they did the same thing with tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, etc.). Canada can enforce their own ridiculous laws IN CANADA, but as Americans with a Constitution that is supposed to outline and define our rights, including the freedom from interference in the obtaining of, the use of, and the selling/transfer of firearms (2nd Amendment), this whole questionable scenario put out by… Read more »
Canada is a trifle testy about firearms. Probably not a lot of people remember the 70s, when the Quebecois were trying to have Quebec secede from Canada by force. Lot of problems for the Mounties.
California is a trifle testy about firearms.
Thanks to the LAPD, and other CA LE agencies, politicians have been able to persecute the over one million people in California who did what they could to push back against totalitarianism.
When those LAPD employees retire and move to states with better gun laws, their new neighbors know who they are and what they did – there is a Western tradition that is not flaunted on the internet.
Some of you don’t seem to realize that Canada is a different country, and NOT part of the U.S. I feel for them, but that’s what they’ve got. There are a lot of them that are very independent and holding onto their guns. Actually hiding them. Canada is a sovereign nation with its own laws, and NOTHING like a 2nd Amendment. They have laws about what is imported into their country. The U.S. has export laws, including exporting firearms. Regardless of where or how these people got the firearms, they broke numerous laws and treaties. They’re lucky they only got… Read more »
Looking at the list of names of the defendants I’m surprised the government didn’t try to find a link to terrorism.
Bottom line, these individuals obtained firearms and found a market for them kind of like fast and furious, why wasn’t Obama and Holder arrested?
LOOK, I’m sorry for anyone who thinks they were wronged, but clearly they were tried in a court of law, and convicted of smuggling firearms across an international border. How they obtained those firearms may or may not have been legal, I’m sure they never declared the money; but that doesn’t concern me. What does concern me is the imaginable uses those unregistered firearms will have once they are the hands of criminals in Canada. Does anyone want to venture a guess as to whether the new owners are Canadian Muslims? I’m not going to speculate about whether they are… Read more »
Seems a bit odd, they were arrested for having CASH on hand. Even without a job. It could have come from a relative. They just couldn’t seem to catch them with the guns going into Canada. lol
The most senior American politician to be incarcerated was determined to be guilty of withdrawing cash in amounts lower than that required to submit a report to the government. They created a crime even for that: “structuring.”
Totalitarians despise fungible assets that allow people to easily conduct private business between each other.
Strange you got a downvote before I even read your comment. It does seem like they hate self sufficiency. Especially when they can’t tax that dollar for the twentieth time. lol
The downvotes are helpful to understand how many totalitarians (such as those who support Brailsford/Langley) are attempting to influence opinion.
Cash transactions are being attacked from many angles.
I wonder how long it will be before totalitarians outlaw the possession of gold, again.
I expect more laws regulating small-scale food production. They really don’t want people helping each other at a local level without using the government as an intermediary.
Yeap I see it. Unless you happen to come here illegally. Then extend the olive branch. Or save the elephants, Red Cross, etc cash is welcomed. lol
It is not the comment, it is just him that they do not like.
“They?”
Will/”TEX”/FORD Will/Oldman?
No, the various unknown persons that down vote you inspire of sound comments equals they.
Damn spell check. It should be “in spite of”.
Ahh. You indicated that people downvoted Russn8R because of your view that he was uncivil. You and Will/”TEX” have both used profanity and name-calling. Oldman was name-calling in the same thread he accused others of name-calling. The downvoters downvote because they don’t like people disagreeing with their views. It was happening before you returned from your multi-year absence due to a non-working computer. Will/”TEX” would go into an emotional rage of profanity and then downvote every comment I made. He just can’t handle anyone not respecting his perceived authority. The downvoters don’t like people who realize totalitarianism is made possible by armed… Read more »
I was merely introducing another theory. Trump suffered from the same thing.
I see.
More like one of his sock pups had to be retired “while the computer was down” – whatever that’s cover for. Big-time PhD, military strategist, ranch manager legend can’t afford to fix or replace a computer…No sale.
You might want to take a look at the link in red, that lists all 11 “people” who were involved. It wasn’t just Ohio men that were caught.
Looks like the government thugs are bragging about armed robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and violation of rights again.
The wording was odd, but note the involvement of local law enforcement once again.
The people arrested were probably objectively “bad.”
However, when the BATFE works with local law enforcement to enforce never-ending gun control laws against the local dentist, the dentist will be portrayed as a white supremacist, far-right extremist, with an “arsenal” and hundreds of rounds of ammunition (shudder).
Buying firearms and stockpiling them is NOT a crime per the second amendment no matter if you buy them for yourself or your friend. The legislators passing laws that counter the constitution are as criminal as the judges, lawyers and people trying to enforce them. I don’t know what laws Canada has against/for firearm import and I doubt they have anything like the second amendment. Maybe this is another case where the governments are mad because they did not get their cut? The atfe is infamous for it. As politically incorrect as it is to look at the name of… Read more »
Straw Buys and Illegal exportation are Crimes and are not part of the Second amendment. Your Anti USA propaganda does not change that
First, the federal statute has to be Constitutional. It is not. Second, it has to be a straw purchase. Buying and gifting to another who is not prohibited is not a straw purchase. Third, persons convicted of a felony and sentenced to less than life in prison, are prohibited persons for life, a sentence not intended by the judge.
The Amazing Cuck Tzu went to Hemline U, doesn’t know the difference between a strawMAN purchase and a purchase of straw. Very disappointing. I don’t believe you went there. Name everyone you knew there so I can verify.
We get it, you love infringement.
AZ loves infringement of his sphincter, like all good leftists.
StrawMAN buys, genius.
I love my country Sir but I also despise some of the people trying to ruin/run it. The RIGHT of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. is clearly stated in the second amendment. Government’s role is exactly that; to not infringe. Thus purchasing a firearm for self or others is constitutionally legal. Illegal exportation to Canada is another matter of which I know little about.
Arm up and carry on