Mammoth gun smuggling ring using N.Y. Indian reservation busted

ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and New York, several of which were subsequently recovered at various violent crime scenes in Canada (ATF photo)

CONCORD - Five defendants have pleaded guilty and a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging eight additional individuals in connection with an international firearms trafficking conspiracy that funneled illegally obtained weapons from New Hampshire through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York.

The conspiracy began on or about July 1, 2021, and continued through at least October 2024, according to court documents. Members of the trafficking network recruited individuals in and around Keene and Dummerston, Vt., to conduct straw purchases, buying firearms on behalf of others who were legally prohibited from doing so or who sought to conceal their identities at federally licensed dealers in the region, including American Trikes & Motorsports in Keene.

The investigation uncovered that members of the Akwesasne reservation in New York would travel to Vermont where they enlisted Justin Jackson to purchase firearms on their behalf, the state's U.S. Attorney said in a press release sent Thursday. Jackson was prohibited from purchasing firearms and so he utilized Melissa Longe, Dustin Tuttle, and Caleb Wilcott to obtain firearms that the defendants had requested. ATF and HSI have identified approximately 51 firearms potentially trafficked from New Hampshire to Canada through Vermont and New York, several of which were subsequently recovered at various crime scenes, to include kidnapping and attempted murder, in Canada.

The following five defendants have pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante, to federal firearms related violations:

Justin Jackson , 46, of Dummerston, pleaded guilty on March 24 to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. His sentencing is scheduled for June 26.
Melissa Longe 44, of Dummerston, pleaded guilty, on Feb. 4 to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. Her sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14.
Dustin Tuttle, 25, of Keene, pleaded guilty, on Jan. 5 to conspiracy to commit straw purchasing of firearms, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and sale of a firearm in furtherance of a felony. His sentencing is scheduled for July 16.
Caleb Wilcott, 23, of Chesterfield, pleaded guilty, on May 6, to false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 3.
Doug Mulligan, 80, of New Salem, Mass., pleaded guilty, on March 24 to being a felon in possession of a firearm arising from his handling of a firearm at American Trikes & Motorsports. His plea agreement contains an image of a note he left on the targets of the ongoing federal investigation stating, "ATF is watching U." His sentencing is scheduled for July 6.

On May 6 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging eight additional defendants - all of whom are residents of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation- with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking.