During the trial, compelling evidence was presented that revealed the intricate web of criminal activity orchestrated by Germine, Tunis, and their two accomplices. From March to November 2021, they conspired not only amongst themselves but also with other gang members in Haiti, with the sole purpose of procuring and distributing firearms to the notorious 400 Mawozo gang.
Joly Germine aka "King" from Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, has been handed a 35-year prison sentence for his part in a scheme that illegally transported firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws, as well as for laundering ransoms paid for American hostages held by the notorious 400 Mawozo gang.
Eliande Tunis, from Pompano Beach, Florida, who presented herself as Germine's "wife" , aka "Queen" of 400 Mawozo during the trial, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison on June 5 for her involvement in the conspiracy. Additionally, two other individuals implicated in the conspiracy have also been sentenced to prison time for their roles in the illegal activities.
“A leader of the Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo will now spend 35 years in prison for a scheme to smuggle guns from the United States to Haiti using the proceeds extorted from kidnapping American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The leaders of violent gangs in Haiti that terrorize Americans citizens in order to fuel their criminal activity will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”
The plot led to the acquisition of a minimum of 24 firearms in the United States, ranging from military-grade weapons to those suited for close-quarters combat like AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle. These arms were illicitly transported from the U.S. to the gang in Haiti to support their illicit operations. The purchase of these firearms was facilitated by money laundered from the ransom obtained through the kidnapping of American citizens in Haiti in 2021.
“Joly Germine is being held accountable for his role in smuggling weapons into Haiti using funds laundered from the ransoms of kidnapped American citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
In court records, it was revealed that Germine admitted his guilt on January 31st. He pleaded guilty to a 48-count indictment, which accused him of conspiring to break U.S. export control laws and defraud the United States. Additionally, he was charged with violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to release U.S. hostages taken by the gang. Germine also laundered money to further his criminal activities. This plea came after the government presented its case at trial, which involved the testimony of 24 witnesses and two weeks of evidence.
Germine's co-defendant, Tunis, who held a supervisory role in the conspiracy, also pleaded guilty to the same 48-count indictment on January 17th, just before the trial began. Tunis was subsequently sentenced to 150 months in prison on June 5th. Other co-defendants, Jocelyn Dor, aged 31, and Walder St. Louis, aged 35, were involved as straw gun purchasers for Germine and Tunis. Both Dor and St. Louis pleaded guilty and received sentences of 60 months and 36 months, respectively, for their involvement in the gun-smuggling and money laundering scheme.
“Mr. Germine, a leader of a notorious Haitian gang, admitted to an illegal gun-running scheme to arm fellow gang members with U.S. firearms in support of the group’s violent crime spree across Haiti, including the alleged 2021 kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue every tool at its disposal to hold accountable those who would smuggle U.S.-origin weapons and other controlled goods for the benefit of malicious actors and their criminal enterprises.”
During the trial, compelling evidence was presented that revealed the intricate web of criminal activity orchestrated by Germine, Tunis, and their two accomplices. From March to November 2021, they conspired not only amongst themselves but also with other gang members in Haiti, with the sole purpose of procuring and distributing firearms to the notorious 400 Mawozo gang.
Remarkably, Germine managed to direct the gang's operations all the way from his prison cell in Haiti, utilizing unmonitored cell phones. He skillfully instructed gang members in Haiti to transfer funds to Tunis and their associates in the United States, specifically for the acquisition of firearms. Germine meticulously provided Tunis and the two co-defendants, all residents of Florida, with detailed specifications for the desired firearms and ammunition that he and other gang leaders desired to be sent to Haiti.
In a cunning display of deception, Tunis and the co-defendants proceeded to purchase a staggering total of 24 rifles, handguns, and even a shotgun from various gun shops in Florida. They shamelessly posed as the "actual buyers" of these weapons, when in reality, they were merely acting as straw purchasers on behalf of Germine.
The audacity of their criminal enterprise did not stop there. In May 2021, Tunis resorted to smuggling firearms and ammunition to Haiti, ingeniously disguising them as food and household goods within containers. However, their illicit activities did not go unnoticed. In October 2021, Tunis attempted to ship additional firearms and ammunition to Haiti, but their plans were foiled when the FBI intercepted and seized the weapons before they could leave the United States.
400 Mawozo, a notorious Haitian gang, was known for its violent activities in the Croix-des-Bouquets region near Port-au-Prince. Since January 12, 2020, the gang has been involved in kidnapping U.S. citizens in Haiti and demanding ransom. The victims are usually abducted at gunpoint from their vehicles and held captive by armed gang members until their families negotiate payment for their release.
During the trial, it was revealed that the gang received ransom money from the kidnapping of three U.S. citizens in the summer of 2021. The cash proceeds were mixed with the gang's funds and transferred from the United States to Haiti via MoneyGram and Western Union to purchase more firearms.
“Violent gangs have ravaged Haiti, and all too often, Americans in Haiti have been targets of their violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “These two defendants not only helped lead a prominent violent gang in Haiti, but they were also intimately involved in arming the gang and laundering ransom proceeds the gang obtained from kidnapping Americans. Preventing them from illegally shipping anymore firearms or laundering the proceeds of kidnappings strikes a critical blow against the gang they once led.”
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