A Puerto Rico man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in trafficking firearms, according to last week’s announcement from the Justice Department.
Raji Yusuf, 30, entered his guilty plea in a court in the District of Virgin Islands on Nov. 18.
According to his plea agreement, Yusuf admitted to facilitating the sale of an AK-47 rifle to a confidential source in St. Thomas. He was neither a federally licensed dealer nor licensed under Virgin Islands law to possess firearms.
The case was a joint investigation involving the FBI, ATF and DEA. According to court documents, Yusuf was identified as the arms supplier for Mohammad Jubran, whom provided Yusuf’s contact information to a DEA informant.
During a phone conversation on Jan. 19, Yusuf told the informant he could provide the same guns used by the Puerto Rican police as well as larger weapons. Five days later, Jubran texted the informant that he had “tow big ones” for sale, meaning two rifles, and they established the price as $5,850 for both. On Jan. 26, Yusuf texted the informant two pictures: one of an AK-47 and the other of an unknown rifle.
Thirteen days later, the informant arranged with Jubran to see the rifles at a market. Jubran arrived in a van with an unidentified man and they showed the informant the goods. The informant then expressed interest in the black one and a handgun, which they also had on display.
The next day, Jubran called the informant to say he had “the black one and the small one for you. You ready for it?” The informant then met with Jubran at a shopping center where he bought the rifle for $3,000.
The ATF described the rifle as a Romarm Cugir 7.62mm rifle with a 25-round magazine and an obliterated serial number. Agents also determined that the rifle was operational.
According to court records, arrest warrants were executed on Jurbran in July and Yusuf in September. Jubran, 27, pleaded guilty to the charges on Nov. 8.
Yusuf faces up to five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 23.
