A Nigerian national in the United States without legal authorisation to remain in the country has pleaded guilty to making false statements while attempting to purchase a firearm.
According to a statement released on Friday by the United States Department of Justice, the defendant, Laurel Echezonam, 25, entered the United States unlawfully through the country’s southern border in 2022.
Immigration officials later confirmed that Echezonam is a Nigerian national without legal immigration status in the US.
The DOJ said that on June 7 and June 8, 2024, Echezonam travelled from his residence in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to different firearms dealers in a bid to purchase a weapon.
Court records showed that while completing the mandatory firearms purchase forms, Echezonam made false statements about his immigration status in an attempt to deceive the dealers into selling him firearms.
“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 department said.
The attempt was unsuccessful, as he was denied the firearms based on his immigration status and was subsequently apprehended by immigration officials.
The DOJ disclosed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the case, while Assistant US Attorneys Lynn Murray and C. Brett Grantham are handling the prosecution.
Echezonam pleaded guilty on Monday, December 15, 2025, 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 10 years in prison.
The department added that sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide US Department of Justice initiative aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement and tackling organised and violent crime.
