Haitian National Sentenced for Illegally Shipping Guns to Gang in Haiti
Joly Germine of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally export firearms to Haiti and for laundering money paid for U.S. hostages held by the Haitian gang 400 Mawozo, DOJ announced.
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Eliande Tunis of Pompano Beach, Florida, "who styled herself as Germine’s 'wife' and was described at trial as the 'Queen' of 400 Mawozo," was sentenced earlier this month to 150 months for her part in the scheme, DOJ said. Two other defendants were also sentenced for their roles.
The scheme involved the purchase in the U.S. of at least 24 weapons, including guns designed for the military, "such as AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle," DOJ said. The guns were bought using the laundered ransoms for U.S. hostages held by the Mawozo gang and were smuggled from the U.S. to the gang in Haiti.
DOJ said Germine pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate U.S. export control laws and to defraud the U.S., "violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free U.S. hostages taken by the gang and laundering money to promote his crimes."