Florida Resident Sentenced to 60 Months for Smuggling Firearms from U.S. to Violent Haitian Gang That Kidnapped 19 Ameri

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia

Florida Resident Sentenced to 60 Months for Smuggling Firearms from U.S. to Violent Haitian Gang That Kidnapped 19 Americans

Wednesday, February 28, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia

Defendant Was Affiliated With the 400 Mawozo Criminal Organization

WASHINGTON – Jocelyn Dor, 31, a Haitian citizen who resided in Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for participating in a sophisticated smuggling scheme that exported or attempted to export at least 24 firearms from the United States to Haiti, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Dor to serve three years of supervised release. Dor pleaded guilty Oct. 30, 2023, to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and laundering money with the purpose of promoting a specified unlawful activity.

Dor originally was charged in a May 2022 indictment that named co-defendants Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” 31, a Haitian national and Eliande Tunis, 45, a U.S. citizen, of Pompano Beach, Florida.

According to government documents, 400 Mawozo is a notoriously violent Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. Germine served as the “King” of 400 Mawozo and directed operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones. Now in U.S. custody, Germine pleaded guilty on January 31, 2024, to his role in the gunrunning conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws, and the laundering of ransoms paid for U.S. hostages to the gang in 2021. Germine faces life in prison when he is sentenced May 15, 2024. Co-defendant and Germine’s former girlfriend Tunis pleaded guilty on the eve of trial on January 17, 2024. Tunis, who styled herself as the “Queen” of 400 Mawozo, also faces up to life in prison when she is sentenced on May 8, 2024.

Dor operated as a straw purchaser for 400 Mawozo. Between September 18, 2021 and October 17, 2021, he purchased 10 semiautomatic high-power rifles at gun shops in the Orlando area at Germine’s direction for the express purpose of shipping the weapons to 400 Mawozo gang leaders in Haiti. The rifles were intended for combat. One of the weapons, a Barrett .50 caliber rifle, is primarily used by militaries against equipment. Dor falsely stated to the gun vendors that he was the “actual buyer” of the firearms. He also received multiple transfers of thousands of U.S. dollars from his co-conspirators to pay for them.

The FBI attempted to arrest Dor on October 31, 2021, but was unable to find either Dor or the high-powered rifles. Dor stopped using his cell phones, showing that he was aware that law enforcement was looking for him. The search expanded to the Midwest where Dor was nearly captured at a trucker rest stop. On November 5, 2021, Dor rented a storage unit in Orlando. On November 8, 2021, Dor had his attorney contact the FBI to turn himself in. The FBI arrested Dor that day and recovered the guns at the Orlando storage unit. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

In October 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port au Prince. The gang demanded a ransom of $l million for each hostage. The hostages escaped on or about December 16, 2021. Earlier that year in June, the gang took two U.S. citizens hostage and released them only after receiving $25,000 ransom. In August, the gang took another U.S. citizen hostage and released her after receiving $50,000.

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Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/florida-resident-sentenced-60-months-smuggling-firearms-us-violent-haitian-gang