WASHINGTON, DC, United States (CMC) — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says Joly Germine, described as the “King” of a violent Haitian gang, has been sentenced to 420 months in prison for his role in smuggling firearms to Haiti in violation of US export laws.

The DOJ said Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was also jailed for laundering of ransoms paid for US hostages held by the notorious Haitian gang ‘400 Mawozo.

“As leader of the Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo, Germine 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 US Attorney General Merrick B Garland.

“The leaders of violent gangs in Haiti that terrorise Americans citizens in order to fuel their criminal activity will be met with the full force of the Justice Department,” he added.

The DOJ said that Eliande Tunis, 46, of Pompano Beach, Florida, who styled herself as Germine’s “wife” and was described at trial as the “Queen” of 400 Mawozo, was sentenced on June 5, to 150 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy.

It said two other defendants in the conspiracy were also sentenced to jail time for their involvement.

The DOJ said the conspiracy resulted in the purchase in the United States of at least 24 firearms, including weapons designed for the military and close-quarters combat such as AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 calibre rifle, which were smuggled from the United States to the gang in Haiti to further their criminal activities.

“Those firearms were bought using funds laundered from the proceeds of the hostage taking for ransom of US citizens in Haiti in 2021,” the DOJ said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the 400 Mawazo gang not only wreaks havoc in its own communities but targets innocent Americans living and travelling in Haiti.

“The FBI will continue to work with our partners to target the leadership and take down any violent criminal group who preys upon Americans abroad and uses unlawful and dangerous tactics like weapons-trafficking and kidnapping to further their criminal enterprise,” he added.

Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Steven Dettelbach said that “firearms smuggling is not a victimless crime.

“Just like these weapons, many guns smuggled to Haiti end up in the hands of violent gangs. Those gangs use them to harm both Haitians and American citizens. As this sentence demonstrates, ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners both at home and internationally to hold gun smugglers responsible.”

According to court documents, Germine pleaded guilty on January 31 to the 48-count second superseding indictment, which charged him with conspiring to violate US export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free US hostages taken by the gang, and laundering money to promote his crimes.

The DOJ said Germine’s plea came at the end of the Government’s case at trial, which included the testimony of 24 witnesses and two weeks of evidence.

Germine’s co-defendant Tunis, who had a supervisory role in the conspiracy, pleaded guilty, on the eve of trial on January 17, to the same 48-count indictment, and was sentenced on June 5 to 150 months in prison, the DOJ said.

It said other co-defendants, Jocelyn Dor, 31, and Walder St Louis, 35, who acted as a straw gun purchasers for Germine and Tunis, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 60 months and 36 months, respectively, for their roles in the gun-smuggling and money laundering scheme.

According to evidence presented at trial, between March and November 2021, Germine, Tunis and two co-defendants conspired with each other and with other gang members in Haiti to acquire and supply firearms to the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti.

The DOJ said Germine directed the gang’s operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cellphones, including directing gang members in Haiti to transfer money to Tunis and others in the United States for the purpose of obtaining firearms for the gang.