Middletown Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Shipping Guns Abroad
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Middletown man pleaded guilty yesterday to shipping firearms in interstate or foreign commerce without notifying the courier that it was transporting firearms. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika accepted the plea.
According to court documents, Charlton Ameyaw, 53, packed five Taurus G2c 9mm pistols and one Taurus PT92 9mm pistol into a barrel among various household goods. He then delivered the barrel to a common carrier for the purpose of shipping the firearms internationally, without notifying that shipper that the barrel contained firearms.
Ameyaw faces a maximum of 5 years in prison when sentenced on June 3, 2022. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Concealing guns compromises the safety of those unknowingly transporting dangerous weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “Working with our law enforcement partners, my office is committed to ensuring that firearms in Delaware are not illegally transported abroad.”
“Firearms packed and transported illegally create an unsafe situation for innocent bystanders at every step of the shipping process,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. “Without knowledge of what a shipment is, the necessary precautions and procedures for firearm shipments that keep both their personnel and the community safe are not followed, especially those that prevent the guns from being lost or stolen.”
“The havoc created by gun violence destroys communities both domestically and internationally. In this case, Mr. Ameyaw illegally exported numerous firearms to Africa, thereby creating dangers both to the carrier and those in the intended destination,” said William S. Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia. “HSI is pleased to have partnered with the ATF on this investigation, ensuring Mr. Ameyaw will be held accountable for his crimes so that firearms exported on his behalf do not fall into the wrong hands overseas.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Mandelbaum is prosecuting the case. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 21-CR-13.
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