NEWPORT NEWS, VA – John Magobet, 58, of Hampton, Virginia, is headed to federal prison for nearly five years after admitting to a brazen scheme to illegally traffic firearms across state lines. Magobet was sentenced today to 57 months for making false statements to purchase guns, then funneling them to buyers in states with stricter gun control laws.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Magobet in June 2022 after noticing a pattern of suspicious firearm purchases from a local Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL). Investigators quickly learned Magobet wasn’t buying these weapons for himself. He was acting as a straw purchaser for a man known only as “E” in New Jersey.
For a cool $500 per firearm, Magobet procured and delivered two AR-15-type rifles and four Glock pistols to “E.” But the scheme didn’t stop there. “E” wasn’t just collecting firearms; he intended to illegally modify them. Court documents reveal “E” planned to install Glock switch-style machinegun conversion devices, effectively turning the pistols into illegal machineguns for resale.
Magobet’s involvement went beyond simply passing along the guns. He actively coached potential buyers on how to erase the serial numbers from the firearms, bluntly telling them to “erase, erase, erase.” He even instructed them on how to cover his tracks, telling a buyer to alert him if the weapon was used in a crime so he could falsely report it stolen.
“This defendant knowingly facilitated the illegal flow of firearms, including weapons modified for even greater lethality,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His actions put dangerous weapons into the hands of individuals who clearly disregard the law.” Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the ATF’s Washington Field Division added that this case highlights the ATF’s commitment to disrupting criminal networks involved in illegal firearms trafficking.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Heath. Magobet’s 57-month sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen, serves as a warning: those who profit from illegal gun trafficking will face serious consequences. This operation underscores the ATF’s continued focus on tracing and prosecuting individuals who exploit loopholes to arm criminals and endanger communities.
Related Federal Cases
- Brandon Locke, Gun and Drug Trafficking, Virginia 2023 · Alabama
- Abdur Rahmen Abdullah, Firearms Law Violation, Pennsylvania 2013 · California
- John Doe, Oxycodone Trafficking, New Jersey 2022 · Florida
- Kadir Reeves Convicted of Firearms Trafficking, Clarksburg WV, 2024 · Illinois
- Nicholas T. Billman, AK-47 Armed Robbery, Ohio 2015 · Illinois
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
