CONCORD – United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today that four additional defendants have pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York. The investigation uncovered that members of the conspiracy trafficked firearms into Canada while also trafficking narcotics and humans into the United States.The four latest defendants to plead guilty in the case between the dates of September 26 and October 9, 2026 are all residents of the Akwesane Mohawk Indian Reservation straddling the U.S.-Canada border from New York to Quebec. They are:Conrad Oakes, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2027. Tayson Terrance, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 19, 2027. Ranonkwatseronhawi Gibson, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027. Montana Cook, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms and conspiracy to traffic firearms. His sentencing is scheduled for February 16, 2027. Oakes, Terrance, Gibson and Cook were among eight defendants indicted in May 2026. Five other defendants, including Justin Jackson, Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, Caleb Wilcott, and Doug Mulligan, had previously pleaded guilty to firearms offenses arising from the investigation. According to court documents, the investigation began with a firearms trace. A firearm was recovered by the Montreal City Police Department (SVPM) in Montreal, Quebec as part of a search warrant executed in a kidnapping investigation. SVPM recovered a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which they were able to restore. This firearm was purchased by defendant and co-conspirator Dustin Tuttle in New Hampshire. Subsequent investigation revealed a larger conspiracy to smuggle weapons from New Hampshire to Vermont, New York, and ultimately to Canada.ATF and HSI agents learned that the conspiracy utilized the Akwesasne reservation to cross between the U.S. and Canada. One of the defendants utilized jets skis to smuggle contraband, including straw purchased firearms, from the New York portion of the Akwesasne to Cornwall Island. Once the contraband was on Cornwall Island, a resident would then ferry the contraband through the checkpoint and further into Canada. Through this investigation, the ATF and HSI learned that drugs, humans, and guns were trafficked to and from Canada utilizing Cornwall Island.ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and the Akwesasne reservation in New York and Canada, at least ten of which were subsequently recovered at various Canadian crime scenes, in Canada. For example, after an attempted shooting in a parking lot in Montreal, Canadian law enforcement was able to find the discarded firearm which was used. That firearm was purchased by defendant and member of the conspiracy, Melissa Longe, from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Winchester, New Hampshire. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), U.S…
Source: U.S. Department of Justice