A Nigerian national in the United States without approval to remain in the country has pleaded guilty in a federal court to making false statements while attempting to purchase a firearm.
According to a statement released yesterday by the United States Department of Justice, court records showed that the defendant, Laurel Echezonam, 25, entered the United States unlawfully through the country’s southern border in 2022.
Immigration officials later determined that Echezonam was a Nigerian national without legal status in the country.
The DOJ said that on June 7 and June 8, 2024, Echezonam travelled from his residence in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to different firearms dealers in an attempt to purchase a weapon.
“When Echezonam completed the required firearms purchase form, he made false statements regarding his immigration status to deceive the firearms dealer into selling him the firearms,” the statement said.
It added that Echezonam “was denied the firearms based on his immigration status and was subsequently apprehended by immigration officials.”
The statement noted that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lynn Murray and C. Brett Grantham are prosecuting.
According to the DOJ, Echezonam pleaded guilty on Monday, December 15, in a federal court in the Southern District of Mississippi.
“He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of up to ten years in prison,” the department said.
The DOJ added that “a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”
The case is being handled under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on immigration enforcement, organised crime, and violent crime.
