US court sentences 24-year-old Nigerian man to prison for trafficking firearms

A Nigerian man, Chiweze Ihunwo, was on Thursday December 17, sentenced in federal court in Boston in connection with trafficking firearms from North Carolina. 

Ihunwo, 24, previously of Randolph, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

A release by the Justice Department, said that on Aug. 17, 2021, Ihunwo pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.

In 2019 and 2020, Ihunwo traveled from Massachusetts to North Carolina for the purpose of acquiring firearms to be resold for profit. After acquiring these firearms, Ihunwo traveled back to Massachusetts and sold them to various individuals.

At various times, Ihunwo advertised the firearms for sale via social media. In addition, Ihunwo made arrangements to sell firearms to a person who soon thereafter was arrested in connection with a June 23, 2020 shooting incident on I-95 in Providence.

During a search of a residence in Providence where Ihunwo had been staying, an AK-style pistol and various rounds of ammunition were recovered. 

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Randolph Police Department, the Providence Police Department and the Rhode Island State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case