The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Haitian national Peniel Olibris, age 32, has pleaded guilty to smuggling goods, specifically firearms, from the United States.

According to the plea agreement, the defendant came to the attention of law enforcement in October of 2019 when a firearms store manager in Arvada, Colorado, reported a suspicious customer. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating and learned that between February 2019 and June 2020, Olibris and an associate purchased 77 firearms in the District of Colorado.

The plea agreement states in July 2020, Mr. Olibris admitted to law enforcement agents that he shipped “a few” firearms to Haiti, where he is from and where some of his family members still live. He explained that he placed the firearms in boxes inside cars and had the drivers take the cars from Colorado to Florida.

In Florida, one of his associates coordinated with a shipping company to send the cars containing firearms to Haiti [...]

According to the shipping company located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Olibris shipped 13 cars to Haiti between September 30, 2019 and May 29, 2020.

This conduct violated of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

The defendant entered his guilty plea on September 19, 2022, before Judge Regina M. Rodriguez. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2023.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cramer-Babycz and Albert Buchman are handling the prosecution.

HL/ HaitiLibre