In a significant development, Justin Douangmala, 41, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison today for his involvement in trafficking firearms from Texas to California, distributing them to convicted felons. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton.
Mr. Douangmala faced charges following a criminal complaint filed in July, to which he pleaded guilty in August. The charges were related to the violation of 18 U.S.C. § 933(a)(3), specifically conspiracy to traffic in firearms.
This case marks one of the initial instances in the Northern District of Texas where a defendant has pleaded guilty to an offense outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The act was signed into law by President Biden in June 2022.
Court documents revealed that a search warrant executed at Mr. Douangmala's Fort Worth residence uncovered firearms and drugs. Cell phone conversations further exposed discussions about silencers and firearms. In one message, Mr. Douangmala was asked to send pictures of firearms he had access to, indicating an illicit network.
During the sentencing hearing, it was disclosed that Mr. Douangmala had admitted to trafficking multiple firearms from Texas to California, specifically to a convicted felon. In a troubling revelation, it was demonstrated that Mr. Douangmala was receiving substantial quantities of drugs from the California recipient in exchange for the trafficked firearms.
The investigation leading to Mr. Douangmala's arrest and subsequent sentencing was conducted collaboratively by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives' Dallas Field Division and the Fort Worth Police Department.
