Key West’s Jean Wiltene Eugene has been handed a 30-month prison sentence for his involvement in an illegal gunrunning operation that exported firearms to Haiti. The 57-year-old resident of Key West, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
Eugene, who pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025, to one count of smuggling, also faces 24 months of supervised release following his prison term. The charges stem from Eugene’s exportation of more than two firearms from the United States to Haiti, a violation of U.S. laws and regulations that prohibit such activities without proper licensing.
According to court documents, Eugene arranged for the shipment of vehicles to Haiti through a Florida-based export company. Despite signing terms that required affirmations regarding the absence of firearms or ammunition, he admitted in interviews with law enforcement that he had shipped two vehicles containing firearms to the Caribbean nation. He stated that he concealed the weapons by surrounding them with food and other items.
Eugene claimed that nine firearms purchased under his name in Key West were currently located at his gas station in Haiti. Despite being aware of the illegality, he continued to ship weapons knowing full well the risks involved. He was arrested on May 4, 2024.
The investigation into Eugene’s activities was a collaborative effort by the FBI Miami Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division, along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Pravallika Palacharla, prosecuted the case.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the Miami Field Office were among those who joined in the announcement of Eugene’s sentence.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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