The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire has announced the disruption of an international gun trafficking ring that transported numerous firearms from New Hampshire to Canada through a First Nation reserve along the border. According to U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan, some of these illicit weapons were later found at crime scenes associated with Canadian organized crime activities.
Court records reveal that individuals within the trafficking network enlisted straw buyers in New Hampshire and Vermont to unlawfully obtain firearms on behalf of federally licensed dealers. Eight individuals are facing federal charges for their involvement in the conspiracy, while five others have already pleaded guilty.
During a press briefing in Concord, N.H., Creegan disclosed that 51 firearms were reportedly trafficked through this network, with some of these weapons being recovered at crime scenes in Canada, such as during a kidnapping probe in Montreal and other violent incidents in Quebec.
The criminal group allegedly smuggled the firearms through Akwesasne, a Kanien’kehá:ka community situated on the borders of Quebec, Ontario, and New York. The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Sûreté du Québec. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) collaborated by providing essential information and expertise as required by law.
Among those who have pleaded guilty for their roles in the operation are residents of Vermont, Justin Jackson, and Melissa Longe, as well as New Hampshire residents Dustin Tuttle and Caleb Wilcott, along with Doug Mulligan from Massachusetts. Their sentencing hearings are set to take place between June and August.
The charge of conspiracy to straw purchase firearms carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a maximum of five years of supervised release, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Jackson, identified as the leader of the straw purchasers, admitted to trafficking firearms to Akwesasne near the New York border.
Additionally, court documents indicate that some of the trafficked firearms were discovered in the possession of individuals associated with organized crime at various crime scenes across Canada. For instance, Montreal police reportedly found a Glock Pistol GMBH Model 26 at a crime scene during a kidnapping investigation on August 30, 2024.
Jackson allegedly enlisted Longe and Tuttle to make straw purchases since he was prohibited from legally buying firearms due to a prior conviction of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense. He claimed that individuals from Akwesasne in New York would visit their residences with cash to purchase the weapons.
The operation involved other individuals, including Io-Rateka Swamp, Jonathan Hart, Conrad Oakes, Tayson Terrance, Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, Montana Cook, Blade Oakes, and Nash Oakes, all residents of Akwesasne. They are facing charges of conspiracy to straw purchase and traffic firearms after allegedly collaborating with Jackson, Longe, and Truttle between 2021 and 2024.
Gibson, Terrance, Conrad Oakes, and Cook were apprehended on May 12 as part of a multi-agency operation led by the ATF, while the remaining suspects are currently evading law enforcement.