A Fort Worth gunrunner was slapped with a nine-year prison term for shipping firearms to convicted felons in California. Justin Douangmala, 41, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to traffick in firearms, with his case marking one of the first under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted last year, as reported by the Department of Justice.
Authorities laid down the law after discovering an arsenal of weapons and narcotics at Douangmala's home during a July bust. Incriminating cell phone conversations unearthed Douangmala's dealings; he was caught using it to quickly send pics of the illegal goods to a Californian contact.
This felon-friendly firearms distributor admitted to the cross-state weapon swap, sending multiple firearms from Texas to a California convict, laid out in the sentencing hearing. The exchange wasn't just one-way; Douangmala was also getting hefty shipments of drugs from his Golden State counterpart.
The feds have made it clear that getting tough on guns is a priority. "Justin Douangmala's sentencing underscores our dedication to prosecute individuals who feed to illegally flood our streets with firearms," U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton said in a statement. The investigation was a joint effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Fort Worth Police Department, per the Department of Justice.
For more information, Public Affairs Officer Erin Dooley can be reached for comment at [email protected] or 214-659-8707.
