Laurel Echezonam, a 25-year-old Nigerian national, has pleaded guilty to making false statements while attempting to purchase a firearm in the United States. Echezonam entered the US unlawfully through the southern border in 2022 and was residing in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
On June 7 and 8, 2024, he visited different firearms dealers, filling out the required forms and lying about his immigration status to deceive sellers into selling him weapons. He was denied the firearms and subsequently apprehended by immigration officials.
Echezonam pleaded guilty on December 15, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement, organized crime, and violent crime.
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