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Defendant Name Guilty of Gun Smuggling
MINNEAPOLIS—In a shocking verdict, a Minneapolis man has been found guilty of smuggling guns to Nigeria and lying on federal firearms purchase records. Olaleran Mohammed, 51, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Brooklyn Park, was convicted on Monday of one count of Smuggling Goods from the United States and 17 counts of providing False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
The investigation began in the fall of 2012 when agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovered seven handgun purchases were made within days of each other at a gun shop in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities. Investigators eventually discovered Mohammed had made a total of 17 handgun purchases between 2009 and 2012.
Agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined Mohammed was engaged in the international export business and that he frequently traveled to Nigeria, which raised further questions about the unusual number of purchases. In December 2012, HSI agents further discovered that Mohammed was shipping a vehicle to Nigeria via ocean container through Valencia, Spain and suspected at least some of the weapons were hidden inside.
HSI agents contacted Spanish law enforcement officers in Madrid who halted the shipment, inspected the vehicle and discovered seven 9 mm, and one .22 caliber handguns hidden within the vehicle. The firearms were seized by Spanish authorities and later turned over to U.S. authorities for use in Mohammed’s criminal proceedings.
Mohammed faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Judge Susan Richard Nelson will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger praised the jury’s verdict and the hard work that led to it, saying, ‘Gun smuggling overseas is a serious offense our office will pursue aggressively.’
The conviction is the result of a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
Olaleran Mohammed’s guilty verdict sends a strong message that gun smuggling will not be tolerated. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Weapons|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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