A 44-year-old Cypress resident, Nicah Anderson, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting illegal firearms dealing, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Anderson, a former federal firearms licensee and majority owner of NE Guns, admitted to his involvement in a scheme where an individual arranged for the purchase of at least 41 firearms from NE Guns between December 2022 and March 2023.
The individual used straw purchasers to acquire the guns, which were then quickly resold. Anderson was aware of these resales before the purchases were even arranged.
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The firearms involved in the illegal operation included high-powered weapons such as Barret .50 caliber sniper rifles, FN SCAR 17S rifles, and 9 millimeter pistols, all known to be favored by Mexican drug cartels.
“Weapons of war, including a .50 caliber gun, walked out of Nicah Anderson’s gun store in the arms of straw purchasers, and he knew it,” said Hamdani. “Investigations such as these stop illegal firearms trafficking at the source. Because of gun violence in large cities like Houston, there is absolutely no place or patience for gun dealers like Anderson who seek to profit from illegal straw purchases.”
A search warrant executed at NE Guns on July 19, 2023, resulted in the seizure of 266 firearms, 138,940 rounds of ammunition, seven silencers, and the store’s business records. Investigations revealed that NE Guns received $115,000 from suspected straw purchasers between October 2022 and August 2023.
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“This investigation is a clear illustration of the importance of investigating illegal firearms trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Firearms trafficking is a direct contributor to the gun violence that we fight every day. This defendant chose profit over helping to maintain the safety of the general public and will be held accountable for those repeated decisions.”
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