Michael Andrew Ryan Sentenced in Dark Web Gun Smuggling Ring

Manhattan, Kansas man Michael Andrew Ryan, 36, is headed to federal prison for 52 months after admitting his role in a transnational firearms smuggling ring that exploited the dark web to ship weapons across the globe. Ryan, also known as Brad Jones and GunRunner, pleaded guilty to six counts of illegally exporting and attempting to export firearms from the U.S. to targets in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Australia.

The operation centered on Black Market Reloaded, a hidden online bazaar hosted on the Tor network, where Ryan used encrypted channels to traffic in high-powered pistols, revolvers, UZIs, and Glocks. Many of the weapons had their serial numbers removed, altered, or obliterated—hallmarks of guns destined for underground markets. Alongside the firearms, Ryan shipped magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, all coordinated through anonymous digital transactions.

U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree handed down the sentence after Ryan was remanded into custody on October 6, 2016—months after the crimes were committed on June 6 of that year. In addition to prison time, Ryan was ordered to forfeit every firearm and round of ammunition seized during the investigation, a haul that underscored the scale of his illicit operation.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division led the investigation, peeling back layers of digital obfuscation to trace Ryan’s activity through the encrypted marketplace. Critical support came from ATF’s National Investigative Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and local law enforcement in Manhattan and Riley County, Kansas.

Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough of the District of Kansas and Senior Counsel Marie-Flore Johnson from the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Their case hinged on digital forensics linking Ryan to export attempts bound for Cork and Mallow in Ireland, Pinner in England, Edinburgh in Scotland, and Victoria, Australia.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Tom Beall of the District of Kansas announced the sentencing, underscoring federal resolve to dismantle illegal arms trafficking networks exploiting the anonymity of the dark web. Ryan’s conviction marks a rare, hard-fought win in the shadowy world of encrypted criminal marketplaces.