Greenbelt, Maryland – Emenike
Charles Nwankwoala, age 49, of
Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty
today to exporting arms without a
license, exporting controlled
goods without a license and willful
delivery of a firearm to a common
carrier without written notice, in
connection with a scheme to
export firearms and ammunition
to Nigeria.
The guilty plea was announced by
United States Attorney for the
District of Maryland Rod J.
Rosenstein; Special Agent in
Charge William Winter of U.S.
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement; Special Agent in
Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives –
Baltimore Field Division;
Commissioner Alan Bersin of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection;
and Special Agent in Charge Rick
Shimon of the U.S. Department of
Commerce ’s Washington Office of
Export Enforcement.
“Emenike Charles Nwankwoala
illegally shipped guns and
ammunition to Nigeria for a
decade, concealing the weapons
in shipping containers and lying
about the contents and
destination, ” said U.S. Attorney
Rod J. Rosenstein.
“By stopping the illegal export
of weapons from the United States,
U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement ’s (ICE) is keeping
weapons from falling into the
hands of criminals, ” said William
Winter, Special Agent in Charge for
ICE in Baltimore. “ICE is committed
to working with our law
enforcement partners to identify,
investigate, and prosecute
individuals or companies who
engage in illegal export schemes.”
“We are pleased to have worked
with our law enforcement
partners to stem the illegal flow of
firearms, ” says ATF Special Agent
in Charge Theresa R. Stoop.
“ Firearms trafficking remains a
serious crime, whether guns are
moved from state to state, or
across international lines. This
investigation is proof that
combined efforts impact firearms-
related crime, no matter how far-
reaching the crimes go.”
“This case highlights the
tenacious, coordinated effort of
federal law enforcement to
intercept this cache of weapons
and ultimately gain a conviction in
this case, ” said Rick Shimon,
Special Agent in Charge of U.S.
Department of Commerce ’s
Washington Office of Export
Enforcement. This is an especially
egregious crime given that a
criminal justice official entrusted
with upholding the law smuggled
weapons out of the country. ”
According to Nwankwoala’s
plea agreement, he was employed
by the State of Maryland as a
Probation Officer. Investigation
showed that during a six-month
period beginning in December
2008, Nwankwoala purchased at
least 37 Maverick Model 88
shotguns from a Federal Firearms
Licensee located in Kensington,
Maryland. On April 21, 2009,
Nwankwoala ordered an
additional 25 shotguns over the
internet from Impact Guns in
Ogden, Utah, a Federal Firearms
Licensee. Nwankwoala stated that
he was purchasing these
shotguns for hunting in Nigeria.
The licensee asked Nwankwoala if
he had an export license, and
Nwankwoala falsely indicated that
he did. Nwankwoala never
obtained guns through this gun
store.
    On May 13, 2009, Nwankwoala
told an undercover agent from
Immigrations and Customs
Enforcement (“ICE”) that for
approximately ten years he has
purchased shotguns and shipped
them to Nigeria in shipping
containers with vehicles and
hospital beds. Nwankwoala
further stated that he made a large
profit from these arms shipments
and that he knew that he needed
a license to engage in this activity
but had not obtained one because
he could not identify the end user
as required by the United States
Department of Commerce.
    In July or August 2009,
Nwankwoala prepared a shipping
container with 22 Maverick 88
shotguns, two Mossberg 500A
shotguns, two Smith & Wesson
M&P .45 caliber pistols, two Bersa
Thunder .40 caliber pistols, one
Bersa Thunder 9 mm pistol, one
Ruger SR 9 mm pistol, 850 rounds
of 9mm ammunition, 150 rounds
of 40mm ammunition, 180 rounds
of 45mm ammunition, and 310 12
gauge shotgun rounds, secreted
in suitcases, as well as a 2008
Toyota Camry, registered to
Nwankwoala. Nwankwoala
completed the Shipper ’s Export
Declaration (“SED”) for this
container which listed the address
of the exporter ’s principal party in
interest as Nwankwoala’s home
address; but listed as the principal
party an individual other than
himself; and indicated that the
container ’s contents were “used
household goods and personal
effects ” and “used auto.” The SED
did not state that firearms or
ammunition were or would be in
the container. Nwankwoala, using
a freight forwarding agent located
in Baltimore, Maryland, had the
container delivered to a ship in
Port Elizabeth, in Newark, New
Jersey, for shipment to Nigeria.
The package was to be shipped to
a person who was not licensed as
a firearms dealer, manufacturer, or
importer.
    On August 21, 2009, the ship
left from Port Elizabeth carrying
the container prepared by
Nwankwoala. The container
arrived in Nigeria on September
15, 2009, but was not unloaded
based upon a request from law
enforcement to have the container
returned for inspection. On
October 6, 2009, the container
was inspected in Algeciras, Spain
by agents from Spanish Customs,
United States Customs and Border
Protection, and ICE and the
firearms, ammunition and
automobile were recovered. A
review of the serial numbers of the
weapons seized revealed that five
of the pistols and twelve of the
Maverick 88 shotguns were
purchased by Nwankwoala.
    Eight other shipments have
been made to Nigeria based upon
SEDs listing Nwankwoala ’s home
address, from August 2006
through August 2009. The
shipments are described as
containing used vehicles and
personal household goods.
    The two Smith & Wesson
M&P .45 caliber pistols, two Bersa
Thunder .40 caliber pistols, one
Bersa Thunder 9 mm pistol, and
one Ruger SR 9 mm pistol, as well
as all the ammunition found on
the container are controlled under
the United States Munitions List
and require a license for export.
The Maverick 88 and Mossberg
500A shotguns are controlled
under the Commerce Control List
for export to Nigeria and also
require a license for export.
    In February 2008, Nwankwoala
applied for and was granted a
license from the Department of
Commerce to export one
Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun to
Nigeria for personal use. In
February 2009, Nwankwoala
applied for an export license from
the Department of Commerce to
export to Nigeria 45 Mossberg
500 and Maverick 88 shotguns.
On this application, Nwankwoala
stated that these weapons were to
be used in the operation of a
newly-opened range in Nigeria.
When Nwankwoala was unable to
provide further documentation or
evidence of this newly-opened
range, the Department of
Commerce denied the license.
Nwankwoala did not possess the
necessary licenses or
authorizations from the United
States Department of State or the
Department of Commerce to
export the above-listed firearms
and ammunition to Nigeria, nor
does he possess a Federal
Firearms License to engage in the
business of dealing in firearms.
    Nwankwoala faces a maximum
sentence of 10 years in prison for
exporting arms without a license;
20 years in prison for exporting
controlled goods without a
license; and five years in prison for
willful delivery of a firearm to a
common carrier without written
notice. U.S. District Judge Peter J.
Messitte has scheduled sentencing
for July 21, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.
    United States Attorney Rod J.
Rosenstein commended Assistant
United States Attorneys Christen A.
Sproule and Barbara Skalla, who is
prosecuting the case.[b][/b]

dot_man:

Nwankwoala
told an undercover agent from
Immigrations and Customs
Enforcement (“ICE”) that for
approximately ten years he has
purchased shotguns and shipped
them to Nigeria in shipping
containers with vehicles and
hospital beds.

. . . .  A whole decade?

dot_man:

he could not identify the end user
as required by the United States
Department of Commerce.

. . . The big question is who are the end users. . . .
boko haram or MEND?
   
   

dot_man:

Eight other shipments have
been made to Nigeria based upon
SEDs listing Nwankwoala ’s home
address, from August 2006
through August 2009.

. . . The customs are busy at idiroko abi?