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Fort Washington resident Eric Fru Nji, 42, has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release for his role in a scheme to illegally transport weapons with obliterated serial numbers and smuggling firearms to Africa.
In addition to his prison term, Nji was also ordered to be a $25,000 fine. His co-conspirators Wilson Nuyila Tita, 47, of Owings Mills, and Bowie resident Wilson Che Fonguh, 41, were also convicted last May following a two-week trial.
Federal prosecutors said that between November 2017 and July 2019, the three conspired with others to export weapons, ammunition and military-type items from the US to Nigeria.
Specifically, evidence found that the trio shipped at least 38 firearms - 28 of which had no serial numbers - in a shipping container that was sent out of the Port of Baltimore before their arrests.
Among those weapons were sniper rifles, SKS assault rifles - some with bayonets - rifles, and multiple handguns. There were also 44 high-capacity magazines, two rifle scopes and over 35,000 rounds of ammunition.
They also were convicted of contributing funds for the purchase of weapons, ammunition, reloading materials and other equipment for shipping overseas to separatists fighting against the Government of Cameroon.
According to officials, to cover up their illegal activities, they hid the weaponry in heavily wrapped packages sealed inside compressor units in duffel bags. Those bags were then placed on the shipping container heading to Nigeria.
In an effort to further cover up their illicit scheme, prosecutors said that the three co-conspirators communicated about their efforts and plans to ship weapons and ammunitions using an on-line encrypted messaging application and code words in order to conceal their activities.
Fonguh, Tita, and seven others have been charged in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
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