BALTIMORE, MD – Eric Nana Kofi Ampong Coker, 41, of Columbia, Maryland, has confessed to running a clandestine operation to illegally export firearms to Ghana, authorities announced Thursday. Coker pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges stemming from a multi-year scheme to circumvent federal regulations and flood the African nation with untraceable handguns.
Federal investigators began to zero in on Coker in 2017, noting his consistent purchases of firearms from three Maryland Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). He cleverly exploited a loophole, obtaining “Regulated Firearms Collector” status through the Maryland State Police in 2019, effectively removing limits on the number of guns he could buy in a single month. This allowed him to amass a substantial arsenal, laying the groundwork for his illicit export business.
The feds caught onto Coker’s scheme when they observed him retrieving firearms from a local FFL in May 2021. Surveillance teams followed him to a Baltimore shipping facility and then watched as a vehicle headed for Ghana departed. Simultaneously, agents intercepted Coker at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, en route to Ghana, discovering telltale foam cutouts designed to secure firearms within gun cases in his luggage. It was becoming clear this wasn’t a casual trip.
The real payoff came with the search of a shipping container bound for Tema, Ghana. Hidden within the trunk of a 2018 Toyota Corolla registered to Coker, investigators uncovered a grey suitcase concealing five 9mm handguns. A second container, initially en route to Ghana, was intercepted at sea and returned to Baltimore. A subsequent search revealed another six 9mm handguns and sixteen 9mm magazines stashed inside vehicles linked to Coker. The operation was sophisticated, but ultimately, the net tightened.
Coker admitted that all the weapons and magazines were subject to strict U.S. Department of Commerce export controls, and he had deliberately failed to obtain the necessary licenses or approvals. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher has scheduled sentencing for September 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. The investigation was a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron lauded the collaborative work of the agencies involved. Assistant United States Attorney P. Michael Cunningham is prosecuting the case. This bust serves as a stark reminder that those attempting to bypass federal law and arm foreign nations will be met with the full force of the U.S. justice system. More details can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.
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