Two men charged with trafficking firearms from U.S. to Dominica

Date: Sept. 11, 2024

Contact: [email protected]

A federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a nine-count indictment charging Neilcon St. Louis of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Davidson Alexander, also known as "Harley," a citizen of Dominica, residing in Suffolk, Virginia, with offenses stemming from the illegal trafficking and export of firearms and firearm components from the U.S. to Dominica. The indictment was returned on September 5 and unsealed yesterday after St. Louis and Alexander were arrested.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division; Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England; Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tambrini of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement, Boston; Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England; Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson, ATF Boston Field Division, made the announcement.

The indictment alleges that from at least January 2021 through September 2024, St. Louis, Alexander, and others, including a resident of Dominica, conspired to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license, and to export firearms, firearm components, and ammunition from the U.S. to Dominica without authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act. St. Louis, Alexander, and the Dominica resident purchased numerous firearm components from sellers on eBay, which were then mailed to their relatives and acquaintances in the U.S. St. Louis and Alexander obtained the purchased firearm components and then smuggled them, by mailing, or by directing the mailing of, parcels containing them, as well as firearms and ammunition, directly to co-conspirators in Dominica, or to a Miami-based freight forwarding company that then shipped the parcels to co-conspirators in Dominica.

The indictment charges St. Louis and Alexander with one count of conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The indictment also charges St. Louis with five counts and Alexander with four counts of violating the Export Control Reform Act, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and St. Louis with two counts and Alexander with one count of smuggling goods from the U.S., and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.

Following their arrests, St. Louis and Alexander appeared in New Haven and Norfolk, Virginia, respectively, and were released pending trial.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). HSI Caribbean, the Dominica Customs Excise Division, and the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs is providing assistance.

This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.

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