THIRTEEN CHARGED AS FEDS CRACK INTERNATIONAL GUN SMUGGLING RING EXPLOITING THE U.S. AND CANADA BORDER

CONCORD – United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today that five defendants have pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses and that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging eight additional individuals in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York.

According to court documents, the conspiracy began on or about July 1, 2021, and continued through at least October 2024. Members of the trafficking network recruited individuals in and around Keene, N.H. and Dummerston, V.T., to conduct straw purchases, buying firearms on behalf of others who were legally prohibited from doing so or who sought to conceal their identities, at federally licensed dealers in the region, including American Trikes & Motorsports in Keene, N.H. 

The investigation uncovered that members of the Akwesasne reservation in New York would travel to Vermont where they enlisted Justin Jackson to purchase firearms on their behalf. Justin Jackson was prohibited from purchasing firearms and so he utilized Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, and Caleb Wilcott to obtain firearms that the defendants had requested. ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and New York, several of which were subsequently recovered at various crime scenes, to include kidnapping and attempted murder, in Canada.

GUILTY PLEAS

           The following five defendants have pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante, to federal firearms related violations:

1. Justin Jackson (1:26-cr-00008-JL-TSM), 46, of Dummerston, V.T., pleaded guilty, on March 24, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. His sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2026.
2. Melissa Longe (1:26-cr-00004-JL-TSM), 44, of Dummerston, V.T., pleaded guilty, on Feb. 4, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2026.
3. Dustin Tuttle (1:25-cr-00097-JL), 25, of Keene, N.H., pleaded guilty, on Jan. 5, 2026, to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. His sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2026.
4. Caleb Wilcott (1:26-cr-00022-JL-AJ), 23, of Chesterfield, N.H., pleaded guilty, on May 6, 2026, to false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3, 2026.
5. Doug Mulligan (1:26-cr-00013-JL), 80, of New Salem, Mass., pleaded guilty, on March 24, 2026, to being a felon in possession of a firearm arising from his handling of a firearm at American Trikes & Motorsports. His plea agreement contains an image of a note he left on the targets of the ongoing federal investigation stating, “ATF is watching U,” (pictured below). His sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2026.

           INDICTMENT 

           On May 6, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging eight additional defendants – all of whom are residents of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation– with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking:

1. Jonathan Hart, 31;
2. Io-Rateka Swamp, 35;
3. Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, 22;
4. Tayson Terrance, 23;
5. Nash Oakes, 29;
6. Blade Oakes, 25;
7. Montana Cook, 27; and
8. Conrad Oakes, 25.

Gibson, Terrance, Conrad Oakes and Cook were taken into federal custody earlier this week on May 12, 2026 as part of an ATF led multi-agency takedown operation. Hart, Swamp and Blade Oakes are currently at-large in fugitive status.

           INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP),Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police (SRMTP), Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS), New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision-Office of Special Investigations, Manchester Police Department, and the Keene Police Department have provided valuable assistance.

“This case alleges a sophisticated firearms trafficking network that exploited New Hampshire gun dealers, straw purchasers, and the international border to move dozens of firearms into Canada. Some of those weapons were later recovered at violent crime scenes involving offenses such as kidnapping and attempted murder. The defendants allegedly treated the Northern Border as a pipeline for illegal gun trafficking. It is not. Our office will continue working with our federal, state, local, tribal, and Canadian law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and prosecute organizations that threaten public safety on both sides of the border,” said Erin Creegan, United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire.

“This investigation demonstrates the value of intelligence-driven policing and cooperative law enforcement efforts. Crime gun intelligence connected firearms recovered at different crime scenes in Canada, advancing our Canadian partner’s domestic investigations into violent crime while simultaneously alerting ATF to a transnational firearms trafficking scheme at work in the United States. The individuals indicted in this case exploited both their access to firearms and the freedom to travel while undermining public safety in both countries.  ATF is proud of our partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners here at home as well as with our colleagues in Canada. We will continue to work together to build safe communities on both sides of the border,” said Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston Field Division.

“These charges reflect the serious threat posed by illegal firearms trafficking networks that exploit borders, jurisdictions, and communities for profit. The firearms allegedly trafficked through this scheme fueled violent crime and were recovered in connection with serious offenses, including kidnapping and attempted murder. ATF remains committed to working alongside our local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle trafficking networks that endanger public safety on both sides of the border. This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished through coordinated intelligence sharing, collaboration, and relentless investigative work across jurisdictions. We are proud of the tireless efforts of ATF Boston and ATF New York personnel, HSI New York, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire, and our Canadian law enforcement partners whose dedication and collaboration helped advance this significant investigation,” said Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of ATF New York Field Division.

“As alleged, this investigation uncovered a criminal network’s reckless and repeated exploitation of the Northern New York border area to smuggle firearms across the U.S.-Canadian border. At its core, this case underscores a simple truth: our border communities are not a free lane for criminal organizations — they are where our families live and where our livelihoods are built. HSI Massena and our partners will continue to follow the evidence, pursue every member of this network we can identify, and defend the safety of the public we are sworn to serve,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York (Buffalo) Field Division.

“This investigation highlights the value of integrated enforcement teams and strong international partnerships. Ontario Provincial Police members assigned to the Border Enforcement Security Task Force work side by side with U.S. agencies to share intelligence and target cross‑border criminal networks. Our collective efforts help prevent firearms and drugs from reaching our communities and underscore the shared responsibility we have for border security,” said Mike Stoddart, Chief Superintendent of the Ontario Provincial Police.

The charge of conspiracy to straw-purchase firearms provides a maximum prison term of 25 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The charge of conspiracy to traffic firearms; sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, provides a maximum prison term of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. The charge of false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm provides a maximum prison term of 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

This case was investigated and prosecuted by the New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs were established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat, and Paralegal Specialist Kristina McNamarra are handling the prosecution on behalf of the United States.