Three Maryland men have been charged with attempting to illegally export arms and ammunition to Nigeria, according to a federal indictment.
Baltimore, Maryland – Wilson Nuyila Tita, 45, of Owings Mills, Eric Fru Nji, 40, of Fort Washington, and Wilson Che Fonguh, 39, of Bowie, are accused of conspiring to export firearms and ammunition from the United States to Nigeria without obtaining the required licenses.
According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly conspired with each other and others to export defense articles and items on the United States Munitions List and the Commerce Control List without first obtaining export licenses. They also allegedly conspired to conceal from the United States that those items were being shipped from the Port of Baltimore in Maryland to Nigeria and at least one other location in Africa.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators communicated about their efforts and plans to ship weapons and ammunitions using an online encrypted messaging application and code words in order to conceal their activities.
As detailed in the indictment, the defendants and other conspirators concealed the firearms, ammunition, rifle scopes, and other items in heavily wrapped packages and duffle bags, and inside sealed compressor units, placing those items into a shipping container destined for Nigeria without obtaining the requisite licenses from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that on January 17, 2019, the defendants and their co-conspirators exported, attempted to export, or caused to be exported to Nigeria articles on the USML the export of which was controlled under the Arms Export Control Act, without first having obtained the required license or written approval from the U.S. Department of State, specifically: 38 firearms; over 35,000 rounds of ammunition; and 44 magazines. On that same day, the defendants allegedly exported to Nigeria one Bushnell Trophy Rifle Optic and one Burris AR Rifle Scope, the export of which were controlled under the Commerce Control List, without first having obtained the required license or written approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison each for violating the Arms Export Control Act and for violating the Export Control Reform Act; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for transportation of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the applicable sentencing guidelines and other factors.
The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Jones of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Leo J. Wise and Tessa M. Bielec of the District of Maryland.
Related Federal Cases
- Tse Bangarie, Illegal Arms Export, Baltimore MD, 2023 · Nevada
- Wilson Tita, Gun Smuggling, Owings Mills MD, 2023 · New York
- James Wilson Sentenced to 11+ Years for WMD Use, Amarillo TX, 2024 · Washington
- Steven Somers, Gun Possession by User, Maryland 2023 · West Virginia
- Isaiah Green, Gun Trafficking, Maryland 2023 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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