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Houston Gun Dealer Convicted of Aiding Illicit Firearms Trafficking
A 44-year-old Cypress resident has been convicted of aiding and abetting in the unlicensed dealing of firearms in the wake of a high-profile investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Nicah Anderson, former majority owner and operator of NE Guns, entered a guilty plea to the charges. The crime occurred between December 2022 and March 2023, during which an individual arranged the purchases of at least 41 firearms from NE Guns. However, that person never personally purchased the guns, but instead had straw purchasers actually obtain them. The individual then carried the guns out of NE Guns and quickly resold them. Anderson knew about the resales prior to the arrangement of the purchases.
The investigation uncovered that some of the firearms included Barret .50 caliber, military-grade sniper rifles; FN SCAR 17S, .308 caliber rifles and 9 millimeter pistols. These guns are known weapons of choice for Mexican drug cartels.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at NE Guns on July 19, 2023. Among other things, they seized 266 firearms, 138,940 rounds of ammunition, seven silencers and NE Guns’ business records. The investigation found that between October 2022 and August 2023, NE Guns received $115,000 from purchases suspected straw purchasers had made.
“Weapons of war, including a .50 caliber gun, walked out of Nicah Anderson’s gun store in the arms of straw purchasers, and he knew it,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “Investigations such as these stop illegal firearms trafficking at the source. Because of gun violence in large cities like Houston, there is absolutely no place or patience for gun dealers like Anderson who seek to profit from illegal straw purchases.”
Anderson is expected to serve a two-year prison sentence as part of his plea agreement. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and set sentencing for October 24.
ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh and John Ganz prosecuted the case.
In addition to the 266 firearms seized, law enforcement also confiscated 138,940 rounds of ammunition and seven silencers. The investigation revealed that NE Guns received a total of $115,000 from purchases suspected straw purchasers had made.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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