Jean Wiltene Eugene, 57 years old, American citizen of Haitian origin living in Key West, Florida, was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison for organizing an illegal operation of sending firearms to Haiti.
Born in Haiti and having become an American citizen, Jean Wiltene Eugene was also fined $20,000 and will be under supervised release for 24 months following his prison sentence.
The announcement was made by Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, in an official statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Eugene had pleaded guilty on April 11 to one count of smuggling, as part of a joint investigation led by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2021, Jean Wiltene Eugene personally oversaw the shipment of several vehicles to Haiti through a Florida-based export company. He had concealed several firearms, hidden in containers filled with food and various goods in order to escape detection by customs authorities.
Aggravating factor: Eugene had signed export declarations falsely stating that the vehicles contained neither firearms nor ammunition, in direct violation of the 2018 Export Control Reform Act and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
During his interrogation, Eugene admitted to having sent two vehicles containing concealed firearms to Haiti. He also revealed that nine weapons legally purchased in Key West under his own name were stored at his gas station in Haiti, specifying that none remained on U.S. territory.
He acknowledged that he had acted knowingly, being aware that exporting firearms to Haiti without a license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) was illegal.
Jean Wiltene Eugene was arrested on May 4, 2024, at his residence in Key West. He faced up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under U.S. law. By pleading guilty and actively cooperating with investigators, he obtained a reduced sentence.
Federal Judge Carl J. Nichols handed down a sentence of 30 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He also ordered the forfeiture of several assets linked to the arms trafficking operation.
This case highlights the seriousness of firearms trafficking between the United States and Haiti, in a context of endemic violence in the country. Numerous weapons legally purchased in the United States are diverted to Haiti, where they fuel the activities of armed gangs, worsening insecurity in sensitive areas like Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite.
U.S. authorities state they intend to strengthen export controls and increase their cooperation with Haitian authorities to curb this phenomenon. According to prosecutors, this conviction sends a clear message: those who contribute to instability in Haiti through illegal acts on U.S. soil will be held accountable.
The investigation was conducted by a federal task force including the FBI’s Miami office, the ATF, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Paschall, Beau Barnes, and former prosecutor Pravallika Palacharla, all members of the National Security Division.
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Source: justice.gov
